Trek
by LiteFox
Summary: Once again, Skylands is imperiled, for The Cardmaster, a pirate with unnatural abilities, and his crew have plans to slaughter their nemeses: the Skylanders. Amid the pillage and plunder, The SWAP Force have been assigned onto a trek by King Ramses and Chieftess Tessa to defeat the villains and put an end to the attacks...But, it's not exactly as easy as our heroes thought...
1. Prologue

_Author's Note: 'Ello everybody, LiteFox here! Trek was a story that I started on DarkSpyro, but it got quite lonely over there after I think a year or so; it was going on for a while actually. Sooo, I thought I should post it here for your enjoyment. Nearly every chapter has been edited for this website, some parts have been completed rewritten, and I might even get rid of some of the filler(which it had tons of). Um, I guess T is a good rating for this, since there is a little violence, blood, crude language and stuff like that in usual. But Trek's not a bloodbath of any sort. Also, there's a crack shipping in here between a fancharacter and an actual character, so if you don't like the idea of mushy, loveydovey Swampskunk and Seapoodle romance, you know what to do...Which is definitely not flaming me in wild rage like some sort of fiery rhino motorcyclist. _

* * *

A Seadog stood on the edge of a dock, disgruntled. He wore a black, tattered cloak. The rest of his clothing was mere scraps the same color and texture as his cloak, ripped and scratched. He gazed at the ocean before him, running his delicately running his fingers through his cape. Why hasn't his crew arrived yet? His fur prickled anxiously. He cursed beneath his breath, shivering. It was frigid, the cold slithering under his garb, rubbing his fur. Worriedly, he began to gnaw on his arm.

The Seadog and his crew's plunder expedition hadn't been well for the past few months. How could a pirate make a living without the best of treasure? He used to be a skilled magician, working for a circus that had often come around the best villages to show their amazing tricks. The Seadog mastered the art of levitating items there, his favorite being cards. He called himself The Cardmaster, as he was the best at playing Pirate Cards, as well as levitating them.

His magic was hard to control at the time, it randomly bursting out at times. Due to his powers, he soon found out that the circus just wasn't for him. In a freak accident, he nearly killed everyone in the arena by using presumably a trick taught to him by none other than Master Eon, the one who he had created a bond with.

Retired, he had found his new occupation when he was taken in by a ragtag group of pirates, once led by Knifeteeth, the ruthless captain of the crew whose name was quite literal. The captain used the pup as a weapon, letting him invade villages with his abilities, while Knifeteeth would sweep up the rest, stealing all the treasures of the now abandoned village. But Knifeteeth had pushed his luck, and his leadership would be crushed by the one he called a runt.

But that was when he was only a Seapup. Now, he was a fully fledged adult. He was born a pirate, that was a fact. He kept a vicious grudge against Master Eon, the one who had shunned him when he returned to The Core of Light. Even more of his hatred was directed towards those meddling Skylanders. The Protectors of the Skylands had killed the one who had brought The Cardmaster into life itself. They hadn't even shown a lick of sadness! To think that he used to look up to those monsters! The Cardmaster clenched his fists, indignation rising. Momma would be avenged. Their leader, the one they called a Purple Dragon of Legend, would perish, The Cardmaster would make sure of that. Without their leader, they were nothing, they had no one to take commands from. They would be broken. When the time was right, he would enslave them, all of them.

His father, his righthand, had betrayed him, claiming that his own son was using _witchcraft_. He had gone soft, so The Cardmaster promptly exiled him from his crew. And that was the only decent exile he'd delivered in his life. Instead of letting them walk away easily, he liked to toy with them like a cat with a field mouse. He enjoyed letting them go insane, having them bitten by various types of Snappers, an eel-like carnivorous species he had grown fond of over the years. Some Snapper venom was mild, while others were severe. They slowly lulled their victims into insanity, and it was quite hilarious to watch in The Cardmaster's opinion. Sometimes, the victims would even kill themselves. Other times, the captain would go old-school, pushing them off the edge of the ship, stabbing them, allowing his own crewmates to wrestle the enemy, poisoning, ambushes, and his favorite: the snapping of the neck.

But due to all of his slaughter sprees, his crew had declined over the years, and now The Cardmaster's savage crew was nothing more than a speck of memories. Fame and fortunate was something The Cardmaster wanted dearly. The circus' spotlight had etched into his brain, making him believe that attention was everything. No doubt, when you were the leader of the Skylanders, you got plenty of attention. Like his crew, his magic as well had decreased. If he wanted to be Supreme Ruler of the Skylanders, and maybe even Skylands itself, he needed to do something about it. And that's where his new, wyvern friend comes in.

Abruptly, a sheep padded up to him. It bleated at the grimacing canine. The Cardmaster stopped nipping his fur, ears flicking at the noise. He pointed his finger at the fluffball with a snarl. The sheep stared at him in confusion, some what unamused. It bleated again before hopping away. The Cardmaster turned his attention back towards the sea with a grunt.

His powers had gotten even weaker than he thought. The pirate exhaled and closed his eyes. He opened his clenched fists. The dog looked down at his palm. Only a small spark of blue light flickered on his paw.

He sighed, his ears flattening back in stress. Why was magic so hard to make all of a sudden? Was it because he wasn't concentrating? The Cardmaster's thoughts were soon interrupted by a large ship making its way towards him. He immediately perked up. **His** ship was making way. The Cardmaster waited eagerly as the crew docked the large craft.

On the inside, he was dancing with anticipation. But on the outside, he still carried his blank, calculating expression.

''Cap'n! 'Ey, mate!'' a Seadog waved. He sported splotches of brown on his fur, while the rest of his coat was a filthy, tawny shade. Earrings were pierced into only his right, torn ear, the accessories rusted by seawater. He wore a shirt appeared to be made from a potato sack, it stitched up at the sides.

That was Patches, his **new** righthand. Jumbled barks split the air, his crew all following the other Seadog. Was his crew actually happy to see him? ''We rounded up some 'landers!'' Patches barked. Rounded up some landers?

''My client asked for healthy, young elementals!'' The Cardmaster bayed, stamping a foot. Rounding up Skylanders was his job!

''But we've got healthy, young elementals! And they're beauts! Females, cap'n!'' Patches sure had seemed proud of his pillage, a smile across his face. Females? They already had a trio of irritating, French Seapoodles on their side.

''How many?'' The Cardmaster asked. Patches placed an elongated plank onto the dock, making a pathway for his captain. The Cardmaster saw him whisper among the others, having a brief conversation.

''Uh, two,'' Patches hesitated.

''Bring 'em out!'' The Cardmaster ordered bluntly.

The righthand conversed among his friends again, before being tossed two sacks. He walked down the plank, still grinning. He dropped the sacks, ''A blue horse thingy and a gem reptile thingy.''

Randomly, The Cardmaster kicked one of the bags, snickering to himself. A light blue horn struck out of the battered sack, it radiating some light. The other bag had torn holes in it, light also ebbing from it. ''You've done a mighty fine job here. He shall be happy once he lays his eyes on these...beauts.'' he said. ''Now get 'um back on the ship! I can't take any chances, none, not we these damned vigilantes runnin' around. We're trustin' no one from now on, got it?''

Patches blinked, ''But-''

''Go! ''

* * *

_Prologue done! Sorry, heh, I think I'm a little bad when writing in this style. I make stuff all mushed together, dialogue and all. Oh gawd, I bet there's a bunch of typos and unclear paragraphs that I didn't even know about. I'm such a freaking noob...Not to mention that I'm new here, as well..._


	2. All In A Day's Work

Magna Charge dashed through the field, sparks of electricity jumping off of his wheel. He wore a very determined expression as he bolted. The Ultron suddenly halted as he spotted multiple herds of sheep in his way. His pupil dodged from one side to another as he stared at all of them. Magna almost felt like counting all of them, the creatures were somehow so intriguing.

''**WOOOOOOHOOOO**!'' a shrill, yowling noise came from behind Magna Charge. A blur of blue flew past him. ''You've gotta be faster than that if you wanna keep up!'' it snickered. Freeze Blade was now avoiding all the sheep in the way, sliding in between the groups. Magna Charge was still observing the sheep before looking up to see Freeze Blade in the lead. Without hesitation, he lifted up all the sheep with his magnetic force and throwing the herds all at the cat. Freeze Blade was tackled by a wave of fluffballs, concealed beneath the pile.

''Hahaha!'' Magna Charge released a mechanical chuckle before dashing off again.

He bolted into the forest, still snickering. That was until an icy chakram hit him in the back of his head. The Ultron fell in surprise. He turned to see Freeze Blade trying to remove the sheep that were statically attracted to his clothing. Ignoring the annoying ungulates, he skated forward.

The robot was shaking his head at the minor headache in his circuits, but was still hungry for a race. Freeze Blade, even though being slowed down by daft, hoofed animals, was swiftly staggering his way towards the gradually moving yet fast Magna Charge. The Ultron was far ahead of the cat and close to the one of the bases of the Skylanders, the Mainland. The floating island was a very close neighbor to the Ruins. The Lost Islands were the few other sites for the Skylanders, but even they still had to fix the destruction that seized the islands.

Magna Charge wasn't very familiar with the newest areas, as Cloudbreak would forever be where he belonged. Besides his homeland, he'd been on an isolated piece of land for a majority of his life. Surprisingly, he was still growing, due to his species being a close relative to the Arkeyans. The Ultron was about to make his way past the Mainland Borders and was interrupted by a Sky Baron, named Jet-Vac.

''Racing again, are we lad?'' he asked, smiling. Magna nodded.

''Gill's been searching for you and a few others. He sent me out to fetch you.'' Jet-Vac said with a snicker. ''He's been acting like this ever since Spyro left. Crazy fish...'' The anthropomorphic avian turned to see Whirlwind, slowly walking towards the two. ''C'mon, Whirl. We still have to find Bash, Rubble, Smolder-.'' Jet-Vac started.

''Alright, alright, I'm coming...'' Whirlwind replied, her head hanging low as she blinked her weary eyes. The hybrid's been so tired ever since she returned from her mission. She hadn't said much either and was rather jumpy and glum. The unidragon lifted off into the air to fly above the bird, lazily.

* * *

Two bats hung upside on a branch of a tree, their wings covering their faces. The larger bat was a misty, light blue, while the smaller bat was a shade of purple. They were huddled up against each other, shifting their wings as they slumbered. The sun had already revealed itself, irritating the duo with its burning light. But they ignored it to the best of their abilities. To them, it only was a pesky, luminous orb that constantly ruined their sleep.

''Are you awake?'' the smaller one whispered.

''No.'' the bluish bat curtly replied.

''...Should we get up?''

''No.''

''Kay..._Mister Grumpygrumps_.''

''Don't ever call me that again..._Brawl_.''

''But I have nicknames for everyone!''

''Ugh, I think Freeze Blade is rubbing off on you.''

''Does that mean I can call you...Cranky?''

''...''

''Or Dracula?''

''...''

Without getting a good answer, the she-bat nestled back into her wings and closed up her eyes once more, ''I'll just keep callin' ya Grumpygrumps.''

''What are you two doing up there? It's time for your patrol!'' There was an exclaim that split the air, but they hadn't really cared at the moment. ''Are you even listening to me?!'' The shout returned.

That was until the bats were soaked with a jet of water, of course, leaving the smaller one to yelp in surprise with sputters, while the other only stood still, growling beneath his breath. With their wings off their faces, familiar features had been shown. The larger bat had tufts of white fur on the sides of his face and big, tusk-like fangs sticking out of his mouth. The smaller bat had only two, tiny fangs, strands of pink in her pelt.

''What, what?! Have you ever heard of nocturnal?'' the blue bat asked Gill Grunt. The Gillman had stood smugly beside Hot Dog, the little canine uncontrollably yipping. He spiraled around in circles, chuffing laughter. He abruptly attacked the tree, pawing intently at it.

''**ARF**!'' Hot Dog had startled the bats, making them flap their wings in alarm.

''Get off of the tree.'' Gill Grunt demanded, pointing his harpoon gun at them and then at the ground.

''Ruff! Get off of tree! Off tree!'' Hot Dog echoed, waggling his flaming tail.

''Bah!'' the bluish bat retorted to the Gillman.

''Your undead patrol is ready.'' Gill Grunt replied, ignoring the angry bat.

''Already?!'' the purple bat asked, her eyes wide in disbelief. She turned, staring directly into the sun. ''Aah! Too bright, too bright!'' the winged creature shrieked, covering up her face again with only one wing.

''Just get ready and fast.'' Gill Grunt said, turning tail.

''Ready!'' Hot Dog repeated, before bounding after the Gillman, happy as can be.

The bats watched the two leave. In a flash, they turned into the vampiric Skylanders known as Night Shift and Roller Brawl.

''Aw maaan, I was just getting comfortable...'' Roller Brawl slouched, pushing back a strand of her soaked hair.

* * *

Stealth Elf bolted, her braided ponytail waving in the wind. She was deep into the forest, her figure almost hidden by all the green. The elf launched herself over a log, swiftly. The Skylander was being chased by something she could not see: another ninja. Three shurikens were thrown at her, but she blocked them with her large, golden blades, the stars becoming stuck on the edge of her weapons.

She glanced up, trying to spot her opponent in the trees. But the enemy was just as quick as her, and she only caught a glimspe of him. _Hm, he's doing better than usual_, Stealth Elf thought. _I'm surprised he hasn't fallen out of the trees again._

Stealth Elf couldn't see or hear the enemy, but she could still definitely smell him, heavy, heavy emphasis on smell. Even with something covering her nose, traces of musk weren't left unfound. She gazed back up at the trees, actually finding her pursuer this time. He looked down at Stealth Elf from on top a tree branch, waving his bushy tail excitedly.

He leapt down onto a flat rock and rose his head from above the bushes. The enemy swiveled his head. Where was Stealth Elf? He turned his head to the right once more. Seeing nothing, he returned to look in front of him. A sudden tap on the shoulder made him turn back to the right._ ''_Oooo_..spoooky...'' _Stealth Elf drawled.

''**GAH!**'' he fell back in surprise, striped tail frizzing up. Stealth Elf shook her head in joyous disbelief, snickering.

''D-don't scare me like that!'' the enemy stuttered. He got up, brushing the dirt off of his green pelt. He should've known. Stealth Elf had done this countless times before to her sneaky companion. Frankly, it still was still very, very scary.

''But it's fun!'' Stealth Elf replied.

This ''enemy'' was named Stink Bomb, one of the trio of ninja Skylanders. He was easily frightened, sometimes even saying ''boo'' could make him curl up into a ball like a hedgehog. Today, they were training. Training without their new, brilliant, aquatic leader's permission. They've been at it ever since Spyro left for one of his special, secret, important misson-y things, Stink Bomb didn't really know. The purple dragon usually kept most things under wraps and discussed his quests among Gill Grunt and Trigger Happy. Why trust the crazed, gunslinging gremlin? Earnestly, to mostly everyone it seemed like a bad idea.

''Isn't an apprentice trained under one of the great masters of surprise supposed to be well not so..surprised?'' Stealth Elf joked.

''I wasn't surprised! I was...being cautious...'' Stink Bomb said, his voice shrinking. Those weren't the same, right? He cleared his throat. ''I mean, pssh, I was just being cautious.'' he crossed his arms. ''You didn't scare me.''

''I'm not that gullible, skunk.''

''I never said you were, elf.''

Abruptly, Stealth Elf pinched Stink Bomb, unamused.

''Ow, geez, wh-what was that for?!'' Stink Bomb rubbed his arm.

''A ninja is always supposed to expect the unexpected.''

''B-but th-that was just random!''

Stealth Elf only shrugged, ''Unexpected, random, tomato-''

''Ew, ew, ew! Don't bring up one of my weaknesses in this conversation, Stealth...'' Stink Bomb shuddered. The skunk proclaimed that he had multiple weaknesses, or rather things that he was extremely afraid of. He wasn't fond of crowds, due to some...kithood incidents. To put it lightly, let's just say he got ''nervous''. Heck, even Hoot Loop was kinda creepy. Stink Bomb practically could write a whole list about his fears, but the worst of all was...the b-word, as he'd dubbed it, for even saying its true name made shivers run down his spine. The b-word was sudsy with fragrant, alarming bubbles and foam on its liquidy surface. It was absolutely horrific!

''They don't weaken you, they weaken your stench...Barely.''

''Musk is an extremely precious virtue, for your information.''

''I won!'' Freeze Blade's voice was heard from behind the two ninja. The two stared at him in confusion. The cat's suit was covered in small tufts of sheep wool. The fluff was even in his mouth. Freeze Blade groaned, baring his teeth. ''He won didn't he?'' the feline asked, monotone.

''Um, Magna Charge?'' Stink Bomb questioned, tilting his head.

''No, Humpty Dumpty.'' Stealth Elf said.

''Why are you so...so..sassy today?!'' Stink Bomb inquired.

''Hey, hello, I'm over here, Ice Cat in distress! Where'd he go?'' Freeze Blade waved rapidly.

''Sorry, Freeze. We've been here all-'' Stink Bomb began. Without another word, Freeze Blade sped off.

''Day...'' Stink Bomb finished.

''He'll be back... Besides, Magna went the other way.'' Stealth Elf responded. The duo heard Freeze Blade stumble with a surprised yelp with strange amount of commotion, even though he merely tripped.

The two stared for a moment, alerted. ''He'll be fine.'' The thought of the cat being hurt jolted past Stealth Elf's head. ''Now, get back up into those trees!''

''But climbing's hard...'' Stink Bomb whined.

''Ah, ah, ah, we won't go out of our way to swap with Spy Rise.'' Stealth Elf chided, waving her finger.

''I'm not a kit...and I'm not a climber.'' Stink Bomb pouted.

''Something tells me that you want to meet Surprise again.''

Stink Bomb's eyes lit up. Surprise the Tiger, often refered to as Surprise Tiger, was another form of Stealth Elf...or a familiar of Stealth Elf. Stink Bomb hadn't really known, but he definitely knew that Surprise was deathly terrifying. He didn't want to be turned inside out today. ''I like climbing! Yeah!'' Stink Bomb hurriedly scurried towards the nearest tree.


	3. Bandits

''Tell us what happened next!'' a seadog pup exclaimed, his eyes filled with curiosity.

Wash Buckler was telling stories to the neighborhood Seapups...again. He often came around this Skyland, as it was the village where he found his first crew, not to mention that it was heavily populated by others like him. He didn't like to think that they were villains, more like anti-heroes instead. When we was just a wee orphaned Squidling, he was taken in by a gang of pirates. Wash Buckler taught them how to be good people, while they provided him a family.

But, he was now a Skylander, and he had to leave his pirate crew behind. He hadn't seen them in a while. The Mermasquid was positive that they were still fighting crime, though. ''There I was, staring directly in the eyes of a possessed Cloud Kraken!'' Wash Buckler said, very enthusiastic.

''Cloud Kraken?! Possessed?! T-that's like a whole clan of Land Whales and a Drow Armada put together!'' a pup barked in disbelief.

''What happened then?'' another asked, his mouth agape.

''My crew and I fought the beast for hours, trying to cut its tentacles off of the ship.'' Wash Buckler replied.

All of the pups stared intensely at the Mermasquid.

''Did...did you die?'' one squeaked, her voice cracking with worry.

''No, little pup, not at all. We threw buckets of fish out into the water, as bait.'' Wash Buckler smiled.

''And the Cloud Kraken fell for it.'' he added.

''J-just like that?'' the female pup yelped.

''Yeah.'' Wash Buckler grinned.

The Seapups fell silent for a moment. ''Whoa, you're so awesome Wash Buckler!'' one of the male pups bayed.

''You're a pirate captain and a Skylander! That's radical!'' another said.

Skylander? A wave of remembrance had promptly fell over Wash Buckler. _Gill's gonna be pissed_, he thought. ''I've gotta go, kids.'' Wash Buckler hastily announced to the pups.

''Wha? Already?! What about the-''

''Y-yeah, the SWAP Force is calling me.''

''Really?! Awesome!''

''Can you tell us about how you spli-'' one of the pups started.

''Maybe later! Bye!'' Wash Buckler interrupted, quickly walking away.

As he was walking past the multiple, shabby houses and buildings of the village, he heard grunts and enraged barks coming from inside a saloon.

''Hey! Get back here!'' a burly voice called from inside, drowned out by the other shouts.

''Wonder what that could be,'' Wash Buckler stopped, unsheathing his cutlass.

A parade of thoughts drifted throughout his mind. What if a whole pack of Chompies had invaded? Or what if...what if it was a battle! _Just like in the old days_, he thought. A battle between a group of pirates and another group of pirates wasn't so farfetched, he'd seen it trillions of times before! Wash Buckler raised his cutlass, gazing intently at its blade. He could go for a little tussle.

Gill had been babysitting them for weeks now. It was quite aggravating, for they had a whole list of rules that he stated that Spyro had gave him personally. Of course, no one really believes him, even the Water Skylanders started to rebel against their commander. Many Skylanders had tried to sneak off, but they were all caught by the Gillman's trusty, flaming canine. Hot Dog was just loyal like that. Give him a treat, and he'd be best, best buddies with you.

But there was a catch. The extremely stealthy Skylanders could sneak off, and Stink Bomb, Trap Shadow, and Stealth Elf were not easy ones to find. Unlike the others who trained in the forest, Trap Shadow was mostly found slumbering on a tree branch, or taking a catnap, acting as if he respected Gill Grunt's laws. But even he disappeared in seconds, leaving no trace that he'd even been in existence, unlike the skunk. Stink Bomb and Stealth Elf had to come up with excuses to get out of doing patrols and such. When the ''we went foraging for Ghost Roaster'' excuse came up, they carried handfuls of random fruits into the Mainland. Stink Bomb, using his ''artistic'' skills, had always created different acts, he'd even given Stealth Elf lines. And surprisingly, all of their strange excuses slipped Gill Grunt's mind, for he actually believed them.

''Don't let the mongrel escape!'' Wash Buckler snapped out of his thoughts, hearing more commotion. It wasn't hard to see that this criminal was feminine. She wore a cloak, but her shadowy garb barely hid her snowy, white fur and her bouncy, fluffy ears. Some glitter glimmered on her black cape. She carried a small sack of something in her paws, it making clinking noises as she dashed away. This mongrel didn't appear mongrel-y at all. In fact, she was rather attractive in a strange, doggish way...And somewhat adorable. Wash Buckler immediately felt like slapping himself, mentally cringing. What was he doing?!

Normally, Wash Buckler would attack the sprinting enemy. But this was a she-beard. He couldn't hit a lady, could he? The Seadog turned to spot Wash Buckler. ''Bonjour!'' she smiled, blowing the Mermasquid a kiss. She raced to a flying ship that was awaiting for her. A Seadog brown splotches on his dark fur quickly dropped a plank onto the ground.

''Get your tail up here, Poochie!'' he growled.

''Au revoir, cuttlefish! I shall draw you in my d-'' the Seapoodle began, waving at Wash Buckler.

''Hurry!'' the other Seadog exclaimed.

The bandit made it onto the floating ship and the her companion removed the plank from the edge of the craft.

''Cowards!'' a Squidface Brute ran outside of the bar, raising his anchor in anger. A group of pirates came out of the bar, all maddened. ''After that ship!'' the Squidface Brute growled. A batch of some pirates promptly followed orders, while others stood behind, hesitant. A few pacifists howled, grinning like fools.

''Call me!'' one shouted. The clamors continued to clutter, and Wash Buckler even saw a few pirates swoon. He wasn't sure if that was because they had downed one too many, or because they were utterly mesmerized by their fluffy traitor.

The bandit smiled from the deck, gazing upon her loving fans, and fierce pursuers. ''Aren't they adorable?'' she asked her splotchy companion.

''Boneheaded Romeos is more like it.''

''You are denying the truth, ami. Wuv is a beautiful thing.''

The patterned pirate looked boggled, ''Amy? That's not...Nevermind.'' he decided that he didn't want to attempt to understand the French lingo, scratching at a ear.

The enraged group of various creatures below them started to ram their weapons into the ship, surprisingly dealing a large amount of damage.

'' 'Ey! Stop that you...you nitwits! You're hurtin' The Esper, you lot! Smoke 'em out, Pooch!''

Without another word, the Seapoodle tossed perfume bottles that immediately exploded on impact, creating a flowery, pink smokescreen. In mere seconds, their pursuers started to gag. Wash Buckler hadn't been fazed, for he had been out of the line of fire.

The ship had already fled, but Wash Buckler could still faintly see the giddy Seapoodle, waving again.

''Darn rogues!'' the Squidface Brute grumbled, still choking among the cloud of fragrance.

* * *

Trap Shadow blinked his shimmering eyes wearily, sleep like a fog on their surface. He lay on a thick tree branch, his arms and legs drooping down from it, his fur rubbing against the wood. What was taking so long? _The sun's up_, he pondered. _And they still haven't found me, pfft, some tracker Hot Dog is. _He flexed his claws, starting to gaze around, aimlessly. _I might as well just leave. _He placed his paws upon the branch, pushing himself up. Luckily, it didn't even seem to budge at his weight. Even if it did, he had already devised a plan to break his fall. His cat-like cunning was unstoppable. Sometimes, he thought he was even smarter than Spy Rise. He smiled at that thought, his teeth glinting underneath the sun's rays. Trap Shadow took a deep whiff of the air, like usual, checking his surroundings. It was crisp. There had been some drizzle here and there only a few days ago, but all of the rain had made up for this sunny morning. His ears jolted up at the slightest rustle of leaves; his senses were always alert. They quickly flattened though, for this ''threat'' was only a brightcolored, turquoise bird. And a long smile promptly produced itself onto Trap Shadow's face. The avian hopped about, and Trap Shadow watched it's every move. The predator whistled, mimicking the bird's chirp. But it had faltered a bit, for a devious hiss rose into his throat. His bird call sounded more like a dying animal or a crippled Kangarat more than anything, which wasn't very soothing to his prey. The bird lifted its tiny head at the sound, its feathers shaking uneasily.

''Aaaand it's gone.'' Trap Shadow mumbled. The bird had quickly fled, light feathers drifting in the wind. Trap Shadow grabbed one out of the wind, but it had made him lose a little balance as well. He promptly tightened his grip by clutching onto the tree, hurriedly. It was a good thing he was isolated. He didn't want to be called a _treehugger_, that was Stink Bomb territory. After a few moments, Trap Shadow leapt off of the branch, perfectly landing on the ground. The feathers of the bird were still there, its scent spiraling around Trap Shadow's nostrils, it being more enticing than ever. He swiped his tongue around his sabers. Perhaps it was time to get his fill. It hadn't been long for him to make his decision, in fact, the simple thought was quite swift to pass by. He had already been stalking away from his sleeping grounds.

The Mainland wasn't far away, it seemed like if he took only two, big steps, he was there. In the morning, it wasn't usually bustling with Skylanders, so he was used the barren grassland before him. It had seemed like everyone that had been crammed inside none other than The Café, Trap Shadow's next destination.

Every one crammed inside the Café, indeed. Trap Shadow couldn't keep his eyes from darting, trying to comprehend the crowd of comrades. Of course, Slobber Tooth had been helping himself to a chair, growling as he tried to break a leg off, dribble pouring from his mouth like a waterfall. All of the chatter made Trap Shadow flatten his small ears back. Ghost Roaster worked alone behind counter accompanied with some seats among it, his eyes narrowed at feline's arrival. The shatter of glass and the crackle of lighting made Trap Shadow crumble the stareoff, glancing back at a bolting, blue gremlin and an extremely enraged Undead dragoness.

''Gangway!'' Pop Fizz hollered. He carried a platter, flasks of soda upon it. They were all stacked onto each other, shaking with quick jitters. Surprisingly, they hadn't tobbled over yet. Cynder halted her chase, her claws creating an eerie squeak as she dug them into the floorboard. She promptly snapped her attention to Trap Shadow, producing the best smile she could muster, which looked more like creepy, crooked smirk. She stalked over to him with the flick of her tail. Cynder gazed at him expectantly. ''Forgetting something, Tiger?'' she asked.

Trap Shadow tilted his head for a moment. His cunning ebbed away from him until realization hit him like a rock. He dug into his bandana, shifting it around until his pulled out the bedraggled corpse of a mouse. ''You promised mutton.'' Cynder muttered.

Trap Shadow shrugged, ''Eh, you know how Wash Buckler can be. I'm on a curfew, nowadays.''

Cynder only snorted, ''Yeah, yeah...Now hand it over, all the pancakes here are getting boring.'' Trap Shadow proceeded to toss the corpse, and Cynder caught it like a domesticated animal of sorts. It was quite weird to watch her eat. She had retractable teeth, jagged, pointed fangs that dug deep into her prey's flesh. Once unsheathed, she shook it like a ragdoll, shredding meat. But unlike any other day, she devoured it whole. ''What brings you here?'' she asked, her teeth slinging theirselves back into her gums. Trap Shadow had to blink a few times, still bewildered by her eating habits.

A lot of the Skylanders had...unique ways of eating their food and they had different diets. Most of them were omnivores, at least Trap Shadow thought so. Night Shift and Roller Brawl took turns bringing each other food, like woodland creatures and such, and they ripped it apart together, drinking the blood that dribbled out of it. Trap Shadow was mostly carnivorous as well, only going to leafy green stuff when needed. His companion, Stink Bomb, on the other hand was completely different. But even he, the nature lover, could be a little carnivorous at times. He was rather insectivorous, since Trap Shadow had caught him a few times scavenging for grubs, larvae and other vile, little crawlers. Well, not scavenging, gorging himself was more like it. When a hungry Stink Bomb and oblivious Sparx crossed paths, he sometimes gave the dragonfly strange looks, drifting off into his animalistic side. Dune Bug was quite cautious around him. Stink Bomb usually wouldn't hurt a fly, but he might just eat the fly instead if he was alone.

''You know, I just thought I'd visit, see what all the commotion was about. I got kinda bored with playing Hide and Sneak with Gilly.'' Trap Shadow responded. He padded up to Ghost Roaster and sat down on one of the chairs, grinning. ''Hey Roast-'' Trap Shadow began. The Undead being uttered a bloodcurdling hiss, his creepy tongue flailing in mid-screech. He curtly returned to his cooking with a low growl. ''Roastie.'' Trap Shadow finished, swiping some ectoplasm spittle off his snout.

''He's still mad about the...Incident.'' Cynder stated. She clambered up on of the chairs, smoothing its cushion out with her claws.

''Oooh...what incident? The time Spyro forgot his name, the time Tree Rex forgot his name, the time Wash Buckler forgot his name, the time when the Mabu he saved forgot his name, or the time we all forgot his...birthday?'' Trap Shadow calculated on his paws. ''I think there's a couple more, though.''

''The recent one.''

''When he was forgotten about on the battlefield?''

''Not exactly. Today we had one of those...Undead patrols. You know, the new stuff Grunt just pulled out his gills. That fish is truly something.''

''Hold that thought, Cynder.''

Cynder blinked, ''Why?''

''My fur is tingling. My prey is near.'' Trap Shadow whispered.

Cynder blinked, ''What?''

Without another word, Trap Shadow cloaked himself, and stalked out of the Cafe. Alone, Cynder turned her attention back to Pop Fizz, the gremlin struggling to keep his sodas balanced. ''I said only one! Only one!'' she stamped a claw onto the pillow before leaping off of the chair, charging towards the gremlin. ''Enough with the soda!''

* * *

Gentle winds rubbed against the sides of the Esper, The Cardmaster's Skyship. The Esper was a rather worn down craft and she was gradually falling apart as the days grew onwards. She had survived through many dangers, enemy pirates, storms, fires, and more. It had been only The Cardmaster's magic that had kept her together. Unfortunately, using all of his magic took a lot of strength out of him, and he had to replenish everday, injecting himself with whatever elixir madness he held in the ''Secret Room''. That was what Poochie the Seapoodle had dubbed it, anyway.

She and her sisters, Cookie and Candy, had been traveling with The Cardmaster for months. It was all because of a deal The Cardmaster set up with Poochie, or the Treacherous Trio as they were referred to by other pirates. Behind all of that adorable fluffiness, thieves lurked. Poochie and her sisters were masters at stealing. One would set up a cute, little show in the middle of a plaza filled with inspecting citizens, one would dance and sing, and the other would scavenge among the crowds, pickpocketing. Sometimes they switched it up a bit by using an everyday, girly item: perfume. They could create pink, sparkly smokescreens that blinded and overwhelmed their victims. Just with that puff of perfume, they would be gone within the blink of a burning, agitated eye.

But, when they weren't stealing things, they were the complete opposite: The Treacherous Trio were just like puppies. Poochie, the leader of the group, had always fancied about the Skylanders, the beings that The Cardmaster had always ranted about. Frankly, she thought that they were mesmerizing.

They were so...different. They were so odd. They were so unique. Everyday for them seemed like an adventure! The Skylanders were always doing something; something fun! Poochie wanted a bite of that action. Even if it were just for a day, she would be pleased. The Cardmaster really kept the Seapoodles all cooped up in The Esper, but she'd seen them from a far. A few days ago, she was able to meet the two, female captives who happened to be Skylanders, but only for a little while, for The Cardmaster had escorted the trio away. They didn't seem like the bloodthirsty, vile, smelly monsters The Cardmaster spoke of. ''Here you go, little fishies...'' Poochie cooed.

It was early, so much her crewmates had been asleep, such lazy scallywags. It just hadn't seemed right to leave the Snappers starving, so she usually fed them crumbs of bread out of her bag when no one was looking. Even if she was a bandit, she wasn't that heartless. She sprinkled the morsels into the Snappers' home, which happened to be only a barrel filled with seawater. Poochie stared intently at the multiple creatures. They didn't seem to even notice the crumbs. The slimy predators just continued to squirm around the barrel like worms; deadly, scary worms with mouths full of rows of teeth that went around in an endless circle.

She watched as one devoured one of its neighbors, the others joining in, ripping its flesh apart with their dreadful fangs. The dirty water became even darker, red spilling into the mixture. Poochie yelped, putting a blanket on top of the barrel, as The Cardmaster believed it had soothed them. But the horrific noises of a bloody feast still remained. Poochie turned around and shuddered. And yet, The Seapoodle perked up in the matter of seconds. Reaching inside her bag, she brought out her favorite item: her diary.

The book happened to be filled with her doodles of the Skylanders, and writings of what she believed their names were. Poochie was particularly fond of Rainbow, the winged, feathery unicorn thingy, and Jewel the gemcovered dragon, for those were the first Skylanders she ever got to get up close to. She met a few recently, the newest being a Mermasquid, who'd she decided to name Cuttlefish.

Fetching a black crayon out of her pants' pocket, she started to draw on a new page. She carried her utensils where ever she went; even on stealing expeditions. ''Adventure...Skylanders...Boys...'' she sighed wistfully.

If she had an adventurous Skylander boy, her life would be so fun! He needed to be artistic; a trait that Poochie had attempted to develop on her time on The Esper. Oh, and he needed to be fluffy, he needed a big, fluffy tail. A tail that she should wrap around her neck and wear like a furry boa, so he would be always by her side. He should be able to disappear, just like Poochie! W-what if he was a ninja?

In mere moments, she promptly shoved her crayon's tip onto the paper, scribbling out her new thoughts, starting to her usual stroll throughout The Esper.

* * *

_Snappers? Look up Lampreys, in my mind they look pretty much like those guys..._


	4. Threats?

_Reviews! Well, Cynder's just grumpy like that, you know, it's an Undead trait. But really she just didn't want Pop Fizz gorging himself on soda, she doesn't like annoying, hyperactive gremlins. Yeah, I thought that since they're vampires, they should be able to turn into bats. Yessss, score one for Poochie! Spyro's in this chapter, so his super secret mission is revealed. Thanks Technow!_

* * *

Spyro was half-awake and half-asleep, but he could still hear the meeting going on amongst him. He uttered a soft, small groan, grimacing in dismay. Flavius sat next to him, snoring as loud as a dragon could. He'd warned Spyro about how long the activity would take; but the leader of the Skylanders didn't think it would be this long! This wasn't just any regular meeting, this was a Royal Petitionary, and Spyro was the honorable guest. To the left of him, sat King Ramses, sitting on his magnificent throne. Spyro had gotten a throne too, a temporary throne, but nonetheless it was a throne. Even though it was comfy, he was unwillingly listening to the requests of various species of dragons. Frankly, all of the talking had just started to sound like _blah blah blah_ to him now. _Blah_ sounded like _baaa_, and it was making the situation a whole lot worse for the Purple Dragon, for now he longed for mutton. All of the _blaaah-ing_ was an ongoing process. One dragon would step in, the dragon would be dismissed, another dragon would take its place.

Spyro chuffed, bored out of his mind. He began to drift into the waves of slumber again, but he quickly jolted up at the earthshattering sound of a newcomer. ''Gah, what? What? I-I wasn't asleep!'' Spyro yelped, scales nearly jumping off of his hide. A low chuckle made him snap his attention to the one who had startled him: a dragoness. She was huge, about the size of Ramses, which made Spyro feel even worse, for he always felt like an ant in Dragon's Peak. The female dragon's leathery scales were a dusty, brown shade, cracked a little like rocks. With digging claws, pointed spines, and a spiked club on her tail, she looked as if she was ready to destroy anything in that came in her way. Spyro was surprised; this dragoness's horns looked as if they could weigh her head down! Her wings, those big, ragged wings, could swaddle a bunch of smaller dragons up! ''You amuse me, Purple Dragon.'' she smiled.

''Hm, I've never seen you around. Tell me, earth dragon, where are you from?'' King Ramses analyzed the female dragon's features, almost in awe. A sudden buzzing under Spyro's wing made him veer away from the conversation. Something was rubbing against it, something fluttering like wild. W-was that fear?

''_Can't...breathe..._'' a little voice wheezed. No, it was only Sparx. The little dragonfly had joined Spyro, hidden underneath his wing since he was just too reckless at times. Sometimes, his speech was barely understandable, since he was just a bug after all. But he was still learning, though, and was getting to be quite the wisecracker. Well, he always had been, just not with intelligible words that the others could understand. The purple dragon slightly shifted his wing a bit, letting Sparx peek his tiny head out. After taking in the air, he chirped. ''_This isn't right, ya know? Lettin' me suffer in your smelly wings...It's animal cruelty._'' Sparx chattered.

Spyro rolled his eyes at the dragonfly's rant, ''You'll get over it.'' He promptly covered the insect, shoving him back into his wing. He straightened himself up, turning back to the petition.

''I am Gravel. I've come in need for a place to stay. You see, it gets quite lonely out in the middle of nowhere.'' The earth dragon announced. She pawed at the stone beneath her, blinking her crimson eyes.

_She's guilt tripping us_, Spyro thought. He decided that he didn't like the dragoness, starting to narrow his eyes at her.

But the king, of course, didn't think that at all. After some more _blaaah-ing_, King Ramses made his choice. ''You may stay with us, young one. You've come such a far way, it would be completely absurd to send you back on your way.''

''Really?'' Gravel asked. King Ramses turned to Spyro expectantly, awaiting the leader's approval. Spyro hesitated for a while. This dragon was evil; he just knew it! He could feel it in his bones, in his scales, in his tail. But, she did seem deceptively friendly. Without a word, Spyro nodded. Uncertainty pulsed through him like a bullet. What'd he just agree to?

Gravel beamed. ''Thank you, thank you!'' she stamped her feet in excitement, causing a few more minuscule quakes.

''Ahem.'' she immediately stopped, halted by another dragon's voice. Spyro could barely make out the small, green legs, leaning his head down to look under Gravel's wing. Gravel furled her large wings, revealing the dragon. Emerald, one of the King's messengers, stood. He wore a silver, bashed helmet, but it looked more like a mask that almost covered his face. ''My apologies for interrupting, but there's been reports of lone Skyships from the guards. Of course, I haven't seen one myself, but I think it's quite believable. Some of my scrolls, **my** scrolls, have been disappearing. That seems like pillaging to me...''

Spyro finally perked up. Pirates? He waggled his tail joyously. **Pirates!**

''It can wait.''

Spyro felt as if he'd just been trampled by a stampede of Cyclops Mammoths. ''W-wha...?''

''We've got a feast to attend.'' Ramses nodded to Gravel.

* * *

Stink Bomb sat on a rock, peacefully meditating. It was a stress reliever. He wasn't the type of person to release rage on others. In fact, he was rather docile. But if someone did somehow anger him, they definitely should know how to stand upwind. And no one, never, ever, ever wanted to smell like garbage. Or like rotting troll flesh that was sunbathing for months. Or worse than Kaos. Let's just put it simply, no one wanted to smell like Stink Bomb. His kind, Swampskunks, were scavengers, and they often got themselves into mischief, tipping over trashcans, ruining gardens, stealing, or just messing things up where ever they went. They were solitary, though, and rarely seen. But when spotted, they are considered really, really bad luck. Unlike them, Stink Bomb only ruined things on accident.

His species was rather uncivilized as well, for Stink Bomb had left the Stinky Swamp, the homeland of the skunks, in hopes of becoming like the Foxes of Woodburrow. He was nomadic, traveling from village to village, learning about life outside of the swamp. On his way, he met Sensei, who found him struggling to fend himself bandits. Sensei promptly rescued him, defeating the bandits, and he soon made Stink Bomb his apprentice. Trap Shadow on the other hand wasn't looking to anger him; frightening him for a good laugh was more like it. He was already in a tree, watching the green skunk intensely. Trap Shadow snickered to himself. He swiftly jumped off of the tree branch, this time seeing if there were any tree branches on the ground before leaping off. He then carefully snuck up behind the skunk, smiling. Trap Shadow opened up his jaws and released a thundering roar. Stink Bomb jumped into the air in surprise. He landed, sprawled out, his tail falling down onto his face. Trap Shadow chortled, grinning with his sharp, pointed fangs.

''Heheh, how's my favorite skunk doing?'' he asked.

''I'm the only skunk you know...'' Stink Bomb replied in a mutter, monotone.

Sometimes, he just felt like spraying his irritating teammate. But that wouldn't be very _docile_, would it? Although, it wasn't like he never did that before, but like always, it was on accident. Or at least that's what the skunk proclaimed, sometimes the scent glands were purposely triggered, and most of the time it was just for giggles. The feline had been keeping this up for weeks. To the cat, it was **his **stress reliever.

''And that's why you're my favorite!'' Trap Shadow laughed, walking over to the skunk, messing with his hair.

''Where's Stea-' Trap Shadow started.

Something abruptly pounced onto him, snarling and growling. A green tiger loomed over him. It's body was slightly ghastly-like. Large claws had pinned Trap Shadow down, burying into his fur.

''Heyyy, Stealthie...er Surprise. Hehe, is this revenge for yesterday? I swear, Camo dragged me into i-'' he began.

''_Youuu betcha_...'' Surprise growled.

''What'd he do this time?'' Stink Bomb asked, still in his awkward position.

''_Where are theeey?!_ _Blades now!_" Surprise snapped at the air.

''Do I have to?'' Trap Shadow asked.

''_Now, now, now!_'' Surprise hissed, its figure slowly turning back into Stealth Elf. It got off of Trap Shadow, still growling.

''Here.'' Trap Shadow hesitated, but tossed the blades to the Stealth Elf, who had now returned to her normal state.

''You thought I wouldn't notice, huh? You were sadly mistaken. You poor, poor little kitten.'' Stealth Elf shook her head, incredulously.

''Hey, I tried.'' Trap Shadow chuffed. ''A-and don't call me kitten! I only played with that yarn once, **once**!''

''Twice.'' Stink Bomb corrected.

''S-shut up!'' Trap Shadow crossed his arms, growling beneath his breath.

''Aw, don't be so hard on yourself, Stink Bomb still sleeps with that blanket his Sensei gave him.''

''I thought we said that was a secret, between two ninja and no one else.''

''It was never a secret.'' Trap Shadow and Stealth Elf both responded in unison.

''That's reassuring, thanks guys, you're all amazing.'' Stink Bomb grunted, getting off of the ground.

Trap Shadow snorted a laugh. Well, at least his scaring mission wasn't totally an epic fail. Ruining Stink Bomb's day was quite entertaining to him so far. His gaze turned back to Stealth Elf. He flared his nostrils, ears straightening up, alerted. ''You smell like seawater.''

The elf stared at him in confusion for a while. ''Oh-oh, right. I found this thing on my little...adventure for my blades, threatening Camo, and etcetera.'' Stealth Elf then produced a small, black cloth out of her one of her boots. ''I was going to save it for later, for whenever Spyro returned from the special secrets of his own. In fact, I found a lot of collectables. We've got some baddies on our hands, that's for sure.'' she added.

Stink Bomb scurried up to her, halting when his snout got close to the cloth. ''Interesting...'' he murmured, running a paw through the fabric. Stink Bomb gradually took it from Stealth Elf, examining its surface intently. But he was quickly interrupted when Trap Shadow grabbed it out of his paws, much to Stink Bomb's dismay.

''Obviously pirates...They're canines...'' Trap Shadow sniffed at it.

''Then they're _obviously_ Seadogs.''

''I was getting to that!''

Stink Bomb found what appeared to be a rather jagged, flimsy card stuck onto the point of Stealth Elf's blade ''What's that?'' he asked. He was always throwing questions at people, it was just another Stink Bomb thing. Swampskunks were naturally curious, it was practically an instinct.

''Just another collectible, why?'' Stealth Elf shrugged.

''So it's not one of Hoot Loop's magic thingies?'' Stink Bomb questioned.

''I found it with all of the other junk.'' Stealth Elf replied.

''Strange...''

Trap Shadow flicked an ear. ''Strange?''

''I've been seeing these cards everywhere since...Remember that caped Seadog we fought, Trap? The one with the cards.''

''That...drunk, streaking Cardmaster lunatic? The one who believed he was a Portal Master?''

Stink Bomb nodded.

''Oh great, the creepy alcoholic followed us.'' Trap Shadow facepalmed, flattening his ears. ''This is just too purrfect.''

''Ha, purrfect.'' Stink Bomb snickered. Clearing his throat, he promptly got back to being serious. Wash Buckler had been gone for at least a day now, which led to multiple questions...and multiple nightmares from Stink Bomb. The Swappers all knew he was out at his favorite village, doing something, but he hadn't returned yesterday. Wash Buckler was a huge, huge part of the SWAP Force, he was like a leader. He **was** the leader. Stink Bomb's fur bristled nervously. He missed being called _dude_. ''We should talk to Hoot Loop...he's magical, maybe he knows about this.''

The cards were said to be enchanted, stated by The Cardmaster, of course. But no one really knew if that was the truth. Who would believe an insane, naked, pirate dog? Stink Bomb surely wouldn't, not even if The Cardmaster offered to stroke his tail. _Oooh, _Stink Bomb fancied. He could really go for a tail stroke right about now...But he had to stay focused. Could this Seadog actually be a threat?

''What? I am I not magical enough for you? I can turn into a living shadow!'' Trap Shadow grunted.

''But you can't explain these enchanted cards, can you?''

Trap Shadow heaved a sigh. ''No.'' he grumbled.


	5. Return

_Thanks for the review! Can't say much about Gravel, but, yeah, she's a troublemaker._

* * *

Spyro lazily flapped his wings, rain jolting onto them. Sparx was fluttering under his wing; he couldn't withstand the rain, as his thin, bug wings would be seriously damaged. Spyro narrowed his eyes, preparing for the next gust of wind. It had been a long flight so far, and a long day all together. He still wasn't too sure about Gravel, but nothing besides her brutish appearance seemed evil at all. Her huge tail destroyed things here and there, but it wasn't on purpose...At least Ramses and Flavius thought it was. Emerald seemed uncertain about the dragoness as well. Uncertain was an understatement, though, since he was absolutely terrified whenever Gravel glanced at him. The poor messenger even had to take her on a tour throughout the kingdom, shivering like a scared hatchling. But other than Gravel's red eyes that stared into your soul, Spyro had taken a liking to the feast. In fact, it was his favorite thing about the Royal Petitionary, besides attacking the sheep...just for fun.

He was still tired, though, nothing would change that. Spyro dozed off a teensy bit too, but wind quickly awoke him. The breeze was another problem. Apparently, the Rapid Winds had come a little early, stated by Emerald, for he'd gotten reports from Windham. The Rapid Winds were just another _wonderful _thing about Skylands. They were almighty, atrocious gusts of air; they were told to be able to take down a whole army of Arkeyans. That was seemingly true, since Swarm had been thrown about during one storm. Luckily, Spyro was wearing his red, wing attachments that Sprocket had made for him. They were like reinforcements; but Spyro wasn't sure if they could battle it out with the tempest. He flinched at Sparx's touch, his antennae poking Spyro's belly.

''_You're starting to get fat._'' Sparx commented. Spyro snorted, smoke billowing out his nostrils. He wasn't fat! Well, he had just a lot of mutton, but still! Whatever _fat _Sparx was jabbering about, was only muscle!

''_Aw, c'mon, you're not going to speak? You're not going to speak to your friend?_''

Spyro didn't respond, grimacing. Perhaps his Undead side was showing, since he did indeed know all the elements.

''_Got somethin' on ya mind?_'' Sparx asked, tilting his head.

''No.''

''_You're thinkin' bout dat big dragoness 'gain?_''

Spyro chuffed, ''Yep.'' He was beginning to regret teaching Sparx's words. The dragon winced, a blast of wind pushing against him. He shook his head, droplets of water springing from his scales.

''_Hey, whaz that_?'' Sparx chirped, his antennae twitching. Spyro opened his eyes a bit. The faint outline of a ship was gradually inching towards them. Spyro stopped flying and began to hover. He cocked his head, trying to get a better look at the figure in the distance.

''_D'you think it friendly?_'' Sparx asked with a smile. Frankly, Spyro wasn't sure. M-maybe it was a pirate ship? **Pirates!** Spyro's horns flared, a cocky, little grin appearing across his face. Sparx kept close to Spyro, gazing at him in confusion.

''_I don' like dat look._''

''Well, I have to torch something! Do you see any flying Chompies around here? I don't.''

''_We don't even know dese people._''

Spyro thought for a moment. He did have a point. For all they knew, this ship could have been just some Mabu passing by. But the more Spyro waited, the more the ship became clearer, too. Completely forgetting about Sparx's warning, he lowered his head, horns flaming. The ship was speeding up, much to Sparx's alarm. He nipped at his scales, promptly getting Spyro's attention. Surprisingly, it was painful. The dragonfly held on tight, slightly tugging him down. ''_Spyro!_'' he warbled.

Spyro's mind was boggled in a tornado of thoughts. Should he attack, or should he flee? Sparx was getting really, really antsy, on the edge of blubbering chirps. Was it very smart to charge into a Skyship literally head-on? Before Spyro could choose, a whirlwind knocked him aside, leaving him to spiral down. Sparx was following him, huddled up under his the dragon's wing again. Spyro was now freaking out just as much as Sparx was. The wind was practically controlling him now.

He straightened his legs out, looking as if he was a superhero. Multiple Skylands had appeared before him, as if they were just popping out of no where. Fortunately, he was able to spot The Mainland. The wind was seemingly on his side, leading him in a way, pushing him towards his destination. But that still didn't make up for all the struggle he was still going through. He and Sparx were practically dive-bombing.

Finally, Spyro landed, but it was a terrible landing. He tumbled, rolling across the floor like some sort of Snowroller. For his big finale, Spyro's face slide itself into the dirt. Sparx, however, had been completely unimpaired. ''_Heh, some entrance..._''

Spyro growled, smog swirling out of his nostrils in indignation. He thrust himself up, shaking mud and filth from his body, much to Sparx's dismay. The rain had seemingly stopped, turning into drizzle; but it still weighed the dragonfly's wings down a little. ''It's good to be home.'' Spyro glanced down at the grass, brushing his claws through it. He and his companion flinched, an abrupt bark catching their attention.

''Gruff! Spyro!'' Hot Dog was speeding towards him, yipping. Spyro grinned, although it hadn't looked like much. Surprisingly, for a dragon, the majority of his maw was only gums. He'd gotten into extreme tussles, losing a lot of his teeth in battles. But, his jaws had a real, powerful grip, due to his brachycephalic head structure. Hot Dog had tackled his leader, pinning him down with his fiery paws. His hide was somewhat dull, since the rain had taken a toll on it. He rapidly licked Spyro's face, happily. His saliva sizzled the leader's scales, but dragons had tough skin, so it hadn't done much. He continued to slither his hot tongue across Spyro's face, panting in excitement.

''Okay, alright. Heheh!'' Spyro had snickered a bit. Hot Dog was relentless, though. He just didn't want to stop.

''Sit!'' Spyro ordered. Hot Dog quickly followed the demand, jumping off his leader, and plopping himself down. But he hadn't stayed like that for long. In mere seconds, he wagged his tail and crouched into a play position.

''Where's Gill?'' Spyro asked. He got up and awaited for an answer.

''Gill's finding others! Wanna play?! Ruff!'' Hot Dog bayed.

''Finding others? Hot Dog, um, could you give me a report of-''

''Arf! Follow, follow me!'' Hot Dog suddenly ran off, almost hurriedly.

* * *

''**Dogpile!**''

The SWAP Force leader had finally returned. The Swappers, at least most of them, had been eagerly waiting for his arrival, and so they promptly tackled him upon sight. Waves of laughter had emitted from the cumulus of Skylanders. Night Shift, of course, didn't want to join such idiocy, but he was pulled in by Freeze Blade anyway. Ultimately, he was unwillingly mushed together with the others. Blast Zone, due to being flammable, could only circle around the group. Nevertheless, he was having as much fun as the others. Wash Buckler, though trampled by many, felt at home. Besides, he didn't have any bones, so no harm was being inflicting. Since he was a relative of octopi, he could easily squeeze through the pile. But he hadn't; instead he was just enjoying all the attention. Being leader was great! Something was missing though; something spider-y and spy-like.

''**Two. Days. **Where were you?'' Wash Buckler, surprisingly, could hear Spy Rise from outside of the mound. That couldn't be good. Explaining things to Spy Rise was often difficult, it was as if he was able to tell if you were lying. In fact, he probably could. Maybe he had some sort of lie detector thing? Or a truth or false reader?

''Uh...fighting crime?'' Wash Buckler replied.

''In that...village of yours, correct? Were you boasting...again?'' Spy Rise narrowed his eyes. Wash Buckler felt as if he was always being interrogated when Spy Rise was around. Where were you? Why'd you leave? Why were you gone for so long?

''Boasting? I don't boast.''

''So, bragging about how you slayed a beast isn't boasting?''

''N-no!'' Wash Buckler protested.

Spy Rise blinked, utterly unamused.

''Yes...'' Wash Buckler murmured.

''I rest my case.'' Spy Rise nodded.

''C'mon, Spy, where's the love? Dude, you're missing out! Jump in!'' Wash Buckler quickly changed the topic. Spy Rise thought for a moment. Would he be disobeying orders if he didn't join? Unanimous replies emanated from the others, Night Shift excluded of course.

Spy Rise heaved a sigh, ''F-fine, but only because you're my leader.'' He gradually inched towards his teammates, gently descending on the mass.

From a far, Spyro watched, beaming. He'd had almost the exact same thing done to him yesterday; the various Skylanders all welcoming him home. It certainly was good to be back. He wanted to follow in on the fun, but another part of him didn't. It had just seemed odd and rude to barge in on the SWAP Force's little welcoming party. Spyro lay down, parting his jaws in a yawn. His scales started to itch a bit, and so he began to roll around in the grass, almost like a dog of sorts. It really, really was good to be back. His fun, of course, was interrupting though, for a green dragon had landed. A scroll was in his mouth, and he had seemed quite frantic. He swiveled his head rapidly, legs shivering. ''Emerald?'' Spyro hurriedly got up, a little startled at the sudden messenger's arrival.

''Purpah Drowgon Omph Legen!'' Emerald attempted to bellow through the scroll, although it only sounded like nonsense to Spyro. The green dragon raced towards the Skylander, fluttering his wings to speed up. Finally, he made it to Spyro, his chest rapidly moving in and out.

''Something...wrong?'' Spyro asked.

''Messam frum Kimph Ramsi.'' Emerald responded.

Spyro just stared, ''What?''

''Mmph...'' Out of breath, Emerald clasped the scroll with a claw. He gently removed it from his mouth. ''Message from King Ramses, sir.''

Spyro flicked his tail, awaiting. Emerald grimaced for a while. He then uttered a piteous whimper. ''Oh, what's the use?'' Emerald clenched his teeth together. He threw the scroll onto the ground. ''Our allies, the Sky Barons, were raided last night! Invaded! Full blown attack! Slaughter!'' the scrawny dragon announced. Emerald shuddered, ''It's horrific just thinking about it.''

''Windham?''

''Yes, yes.''

''By who?''

''Apparently, pirates...disguised as magicians.''

''Pirates disguised as magicians?''

''With cards.''

Cards? All of the Swappers had been intently listening to the conversation, though still in a cumulus. That hadn't seemed very odd to them; it was rather familiar actually.

''Well, some were dressed in clown costumes...But that's not the point, of course. The pirates were supposedly led by a menace, presumably called-'' Emerald began.

''The Cardmaster.'' The Swappers finished in unison.

''Exactly,'' Emerald dipped his head in a nod. ''King Ramses said to send a group of your finest Skylanders out immediately.''

''We're fine...st!'' Wash Buckler called out.

''A group that's organized.''

''We're organized!''

''A team of several, different warriors, I suggest.''

''We're several, different warriors!''

''What're you doing? I swear my ears are gonna bleed if you screech any louder.'' Trap Shadow hissed.

''I'm trying to get us a gig.''

''Aw, but I liked vacation...It was fun. I'm not sure if I want to go back to killing things yet.'' Freeze Blade drew his ears back.

''You thought that being set off into a dangerous forest in the hot sun by Gill was fun?'' Stink Bomb asked.

''I thought it was fun.'' Night Shift commented.

''Shhhhush!'' Wash Buckler chided. He winced, trying his best to listen.

''Will one led by a pirate-'' Spyro began.

''Oh, that's even better! We'll fight fire with fire! Do you happen to have a pirate leader, Spyro?'' Emerald waggled his tail. He leaning in close, expectantly, but it was just odd and awkward to Spyro. ''Hmmm?''

''Um...'' Spyro darted his eyes to the Swappers. ''Yeah.''

Emerald immediately whirled around, eyes locking onto the team. Now, instead of being jumbled together, they were standing in a horizontal line. ''Organized!'' Emerald smiled. He sighed wistfully at the word, ''Organized just like my scrolls...'' He turned back towards the group, starting to analyze the Swappers, glazing his eyes over everyone.

''Emerald, meet the SWAP Force.'' Spyro said.

''Oooh, oh, right! I've read about the Cloudbreak Protectors!'' Emerald replied. He was pretty thrilled, not being able to stop his own grin. ''Pleasure to meet your acquaintance. I must say, you all look quite splendiferous.'' he bowed.

''I've got no idea of what splendi...ifer...'' Wash Buckler's voice drifted away into a drawl. ''But I'm going to take it as a compliment!''

Emerald chortled, ''You're comical as well!'' He then shook his head wildly, as if in attempt to clear something from his mind. ''I-I mean, ahem, are you ready to go on a trek, battle enemies, and defeat this traveling menace they call...The Cardmaster?''

''Yep!'' Wash Buckler didn't have to be told twice. But the others were still undecided. ''Dudes...'' Wash Buckler whispered. ''Dudes...'' he repeated, a little louder. Everyone, except Night Shift, nodded.

Emerald turned to Spyro. ''It's settled?'' the messenger asked.

''Settled.''


	6. Confrontation and Conflict

_Oh, Shadowdawn199, I think you reviewed the wrong fanfic...wait...A-awesomeness? Trek is awesome?_

_Yeah, that chapter was pretty short, I was literally struggling to lengthen it, heh. Hope this one's a tad bit longer, I added a few Esper scenes in here, there was supposed to be a Cardmaster part in Chapter Five, but I ran into a brief writer's block. To all my readers, thanks!_

* * *

_Darkness_. It had seemingly surrounded Whirlwind, frigid air bristling her feathers and fur. She was in a dream, she knew that much. But her dreams weren't usually like this; they were never like this. They were all cheery, sunny, and just plain nice. This, this however was like an Undead Skylander's dream. Had she accidently drifted into Cynder's dream? Was that even possible? Unicorns were capable of many things, but she hadn't recalled seeing or hearing about them invade thoughts, and she surely never did it before.

She blinked her eyes; but nothing had been cleared. ''H-hello?'' she asked, her voice faltering a bit. The only response she'd gotten was her own echo. When she padded, it felt as if she was treading on air. But there had been this ominous feeling about this air. She didn't like it, she didn't like it at all. She winced and poised her horn, hoping that it could serve as a flashlight of sorts. But the light she'd been hoping for had simply fell flat, only a spark prevailing. She frowned in dismay, drooping her ears. _Well_, she thought, _I guess I better go explore. _Whirlwind pushed onwards, but she couldn't help but feel the uncertainty that rattled her bones. Suddenly, a blue flash had sparkled in the distance, making her promptly perk her ears up. The glow glistened in Whirlwind's widened eyes, even though it was so far. Multiple more had appeared, flickering on and off. Intrigued, she lifted a claw, trying to decide if she should investigate. But she didn't have anytime to choose. Something had seized her body. There was a frightening pause, and Whirlwind tensed up. She then found herself being pulled towards the lights. Whirlwind tried to stop the force, using her claws in hopes of skidding to a halt. But her attempt had failed. Instead, she ended up ramming herself into something rock hard, the force had practically thrown her. Whirlwind, dazed, wobbled around a bit before snapping out of her trance. With a yelp, she jumped back, eyes locked onto what she'd hit: a draconic, silver leg. The shadowy, dragon figure was huge! Luckily, it didn't appear to be alive, more like a statue of sorts.

Darkened shapes of dragons were appearing all around her, next to her, behind her, in front of her. The majority of them were new faces, all smiling, lifting their heads to gaze upon the stone dragon. Whirlwind still couldn't see a thing, but when she tried hard enough, she could spot one familiar face. Flashwing was staring back at her. She must've been just as bemused as Whirlwind was. ''Flash-'' Whirlwind began. She stopped, for something had a very tight grip on her neck. But whatever it was, it was invisible. It jerked her attention back to the statue, roughly. Whirlwind darted her eyes around, looking for the mysterious source.

But she only found more and more dragons, small and large. Their scales were dim, their dank hides matching up with the shadowy surroundings. Whirlwind rubbed her sore neck, but instead of finding fur, she found a metal collar, chains hooked to it like a leash. With the vicious tug of the chain, she stumbled back a bit. She turned around, discovering that a dragon had its jaws firmly clenched down on the chains. Whirlwind couldn't tell the gender at the time, her eyes were still not used to the darkness. The dragon tugged again, and began to circle around Whirlwind. The other dragons stepped back. But it wasn't fear that was on their faces; happiness had still shown through. Whirlwind definitely wasn't happy though. She swiped the air in warning a few times, but her capturer hadn't been fazed. Whirlwind was going to be dragged again. She stood her ground, though, putting up quite the fight. The hybrid and the dragon were practically playing Tug of War now. Unfortunately, other dragons had joined in, pushing her with all their might. Whirlwind had tried to turn around a swipe a few, but she was already losing this match.

The dragon had stopped. It finally let go, opened his maw, letting the chain fall. Whirlwind was met with the statue again, a few step away from it. Flashwing had appeared to have the same process done to her, a collar around her neck as well. Whirlwind growled at the dragon that had pulled her, but it just carried a blank expression, nothing like the happy crowd. It hurriedly stalked away, slipping back into swarm of his companions. ''Yeah, you better run.'' Whirlwind growled. A crackle from the statue made her immediately veer away from the dragon. Everyone's attention was on it. Frankly, Whirlwind could only see its legs, black atmosphere hiding the rest of the body. A blue flash sparkled once more, before the statue crackled again. At that moment, it burst into blazing, azure flames, uttering a horrid screech.

Whirlwind awoke.

What? What was that? What was that?! Now, she was outside, in the middle of the night, shivering. She didn't know how she got out there, and she didn't have much time to think, for a pulse of unease stung her body. Something was happening. Drool slid out of her mouth, but she hadn't really noticed, too startled at the strange feeling. The faint taste of blood had tainted her tongue. Froth had rose in her throat, choking her slightly. She froze. In mere moments, bubbling, reddened foam brought itself forward, it pouring from her mouth. She rolled over, spuming, and began to convulse.

* * *

Joyous laughter brewed from the sides of The Esper. The pirates had their first victory in what seemed like ages. Only glee had shown through; they were all boozing, joking about, wrestling, just all-around having a good time. They were all seated around a rectangular, wooden table, like as if they were celebrating some kind of feast. Surprisingly, even The Cardmaster was pleased. And when the captain was in a good mood, all the pirates were in a good mood. The possibility of being killed was thin this day. They were having their bellies filled with actual food for the first time in months. With the Sky Barons' help, of course. _Borrowing_ Windham's supplies was the righthand's idea, so The Cardmaster had been exceptionally polite to Patches. He'd even given the deputy more meat than others, but, nonetheless it was still scraps compared to The Cardmaster's meal. Patches hadn't really cared though, if he complained to his captain, all of the fun would surely be ruined.

The she-beards, Poochie and her sisters, had joined along in the festivities too. At the time, Candy and Poochie were busy stuffing their faces with peanut butter, one of the many prizes they had brought back from Windham. They were fighting over it, just in a pitiful puppy-like way. Candy was a butterscotch shade, her fur being quite cream, some strands of fur even a little golden. Cookie, the oldest by a few seconds, was intrigued with her new, stolen phone. Phone? Yes, phone. Sometimes, Earth's items just popped up from time to time, a lot of it being technology. Most people used cameras to interview Skylanders, while Cookie just messed around on it. She didn't even know how to use it. But it kept her entertained, and that was all that mattered. Her name was supposed to be taken literally; Cookie's coat was really identical to dark, fudge cookie, just without all the special chips and stuff.

''And then I said...Cats!'' Patches received a large amount of chuckles from the crew, much to his delight.

''Chats!'' Poochie guffawed, before grabbing the container of peanut butter away from Candy.

The Cardmaster snickered, slapping Patches on his back. Although friendly, it had been actually rather painful. ''You're not so bad.''

Patches wasn't sure if that was even a compliment. But he smiled anyway, a little awkwardly. He never wanted this day to end! Wait...Something had just dawned on

him, something important. ''Cap'n...''

The Cardmaster snapped his attention to Patches, sending some fear throughout him._ That stare_, Patches winced a little.

''Whassup?''

Whassup? Patches blinked at the response. The Cardmaster was obviously drunk...Already.

'' 'Ey, um, Cap'n, if you're down here...then who's steering the ship?''

The Esper didn't have any navigators, so The Cardmaster was supposed to be the one actually doing all the...navigating. The Cardmaster's magic could indeed steer, but he needed to reinforce it, otherwise they'd just be drifting into uncharted territories. And had been drifting for hours...

''Whut?''

''Who's steering the ship?''

A silence threw itself forth, all of the Seadogs on board immediately shutting their mouths. Well, everyone besides Candy and Poochie, since the two were growling over the peanut butter again.

''**ATTACK****!**'' A dragon's roar was audibly from outside The Esper.

The ship jolted to and fro, the sound of claws beating against it. Luckily, they hadn't been getting far, for The Cardmaster's magic had protected it. But how long would it protect it? No one had the slightest idea. The Cardmaster promptly clambered onto the table, snarling like wild. So much for _nice_ Cards. ''Cursed fools!'' The Cardmaster was back to his enraged and deranged self. He grabbed a butter knife and threatened the nearest Seadog, looking as if he was poised to throw it right into his skull. ''This all your fault!'' he did indeed end up throwing it, but his aim was off. That was one of the good things about drunk Cardmaster; his attacks always failed.

''Cap'n...'' Patches murmured.

The Cardmaster snapped his jaws, ''**Leave.** **NOW.**''

No one needed to be told twice.

* * *

Gravel slept in the middle of The Coliseum. It was the main area of Dragon's Peak, where the Dragon's Throne resided. The throne was being carefully guarded by a few armored dragons. They scanned the sky like hawks, narrowing their eyes at the battle from a far. Frankly, Gravel couldn't stand it. She'd chosen the wrong time to sleep, apparently. She heaved a sigh, opening her eyes in slits. What were they doing up there? The dragons were practically throwing themselves against a ship. The dragoness just shook her head in disbelief. It had all seemed stupid to her; they were wasting their time. That craft was obviously indestructible. Why did they keep flying at it like idiots over and over again? Gravel buried her snout into her claws, snorting in contempt. Luckily, she was next to her favorite thing about The Coliseum, which perked her up a little. This _thing_ was a statue, shrieking at the sky in defeat: Vathek. She smiled, flicking her tail from side to side. _Soon_, she thought. Gravel flickered out her forked tongue, and then drifting back into sleep once more.

''Skylanders!''

Gravel hurriedly jolted up at Emerald's excited cry She completely tossed the idea of sleeping away. The earth dragoness stalked over to the edge, gazing below. They were coming. She smirked, swishing her tail from side to side excitedly.

* * *

It hadn't been The SWAP Force's lucky day. They had expected to visit Dragon's Peak, defeat a few baddies, and prepare for _the greatest adventure of their lives_. Instead, they were being chased by a earth dragon. Not to mention that this particular earth dragon was **female**. All of that manly-man talk of slaying krakens, scaring away vicious monsters, and destroying entire armies of Gnorcs, had all disintegrated. Fortunately, they were already in a ship.

Earlier, they had found an odd group of pirates separated from The Cardmaster's crew: a feline-like Mabu, a Gillman, a Squidface, and a small Seadog. They said that they had been hidden in Dragon's Peak for days, plotting to steal some treasure to keep as their own. Those daft pirates! They nearly explained everything about The Cardmaster and The Esper itself! But it wasn't a bad thing, not the Swappers at least. Now, they knew more about what they were up against. But there was a slight drawback...Wash Buckler was getting way too carried away with steering the creaky, shabby ship. Spy Rise wasn't even sure if he what he was doing, so he and Wash Buckler were now fighting over it.

''Dude, stop turning it!''

''You stop turning it!''

''They're never going to stop, are they?'' Rattle Shake flickered his tongue out in distaste.

''Nope.'' the others responded.

Blast Zone and Boom Jet were circling around the ship, serving as aerial protection. Unlike The Cardmaster, the Swappers didn't have any magic forcefields around their ship, and their flying pursuer was still on their tail. So, Blast Zone and Boom Jet volunteered to keep watch. The other Swappers, well, excluding Stink Bomb, hadn't been worried about their tracker anymore. In fact, dragoness was seemingly shrinking, for she finally slowing down. The Rocket Swappers stopped revolving.

''Well, that could've gone worse.'' Boom Jet smiled. He turned to Blast Zone, as if he was awaiting for a response.

''I don't think this is over.'' Blast Zone stared off into the distance with indecision.

''Heh, what makes you think th-''

Various, alarming howls interrupted the skysurfer. In a flash, a rather large ship had appeared next to the Swappers's sad little one, it violently bumping into theirs. The Swappers onboard staggered at the sudden push, some even nearly falling down.

Oh...so that's what you were worried about...'' Boom Jet murmured. Multiple Seadogs grinned down upon them, snickering.

''Move, move! Get outta my way!'' a familiar, cloaked Seadog pushed some others aside, angrily. That was none other than The Cardmaster; a very, very menacing Cardmaster. He curled his lip, revealing his fangs, ''Skylanders...ohhoho, this is fortuitous...''

''Why is everyone talking like that now?!'' Wash Buckler exclaimed.

''I've got no idea.'' Freeze Blade shrugged.

''Oh well...Positions!'' Wash Buckler then pointed his cutlass, as if it was some sort of signal. The Swappers got into their infamous battle poses, all saying their catchphrases in unison.

The Cardmaster hadn't really been fazed. With a snicker, he beamed. ''Board 'em.''

And with that one command, the Seadogs all started to swarm like bugs, leaping off of the edge and onto the Skylanders' ship. The Cardmaster watched as battle outbroke, and he laughed manically from The Esper, tongue lolling out in excitement.

It was difficult to fight in such on such a compact battlefield. Even though there was a small amount of the Seadogs, it was like there was an entire clan of them. But they were rather klutzy, so most of them defeated themselves with their own accidents. But the Swappers were doing the same, thanks to the ship's troubling size. No one was really getting anywhere. In the midst of battle, Wash Buckler had tried to steer the Swappers away from The Esper, but one Seadog-Patches-just wouldn't let him.

''Foolish Mermasquid!''

''Mutt!''

''Invertebrate dunce!''

''Yo mama!''

So, the fight over the wheel began again, much to everyone's dismay.

* * *

A Sky Baron stood beyond the entrance of the Windham, squinting his eyes. Dark, wispy clouds had dawdled over the him, casting a gloomy appearance across the territory. He scrunched his face up, a strong gust of wind nearly bowling him over, it toying with his feathers. He was mottled, various grays and slight whites upon his body. The feathers around his face were tipped in black, like all Sky Barons. Unlike the males, female Sky Baron feathers weren't as bright, but they too had blackened points. This Sky Baron was called General, but his full title was Sky General Aquila. His soldiers had been guarding Windham, aligned single file in two different lines. Their weapons were crossbows, talons firmly wrapped around them, General sporting one as well.

''Keep your eyes peeled, friends, anythin' could happen.'' General commanded.

''Yes, sir!'' the soldier crowed in unison.

General nodded in approval, ''That's what I like to hear.'' He then tensed up, feathers on ends. The faint outline of a flying vessel was getting trailing towards them. Vivid orbs were placed amongst the front of it, serving as headlights. General had to cover his face a bit, the Skyship's glow almost blinding.

''Intruders!'' a soldier shrieked. They immediately raised their weapons, already prepared. General cringed, still trying to make out the image. As it drew closer, with the help of the lights, General was able to see the driver: a male fox. His fur was dappled, similar to General in a way. He was rather slender, almost shaped more like a weasel than anything. The intruder's clothing was normal, nothing like the scrappy garbs of the Seadogs. All-around, he didn't seem unfriendly at all.

''Don't attack! Not yet!'' General ordered. Hesitantly, the Sky Barons loosened their grips on their weapons, pulling them down. General tilted his head, intrigued by the ship that had just landed. It wasn't too big, but it wasn't too small either. Multiple propellers had been attached to the vessel, all of them looking as if they belonged on different airships. Duct tape had secured the circular headlights on, a few punctures on ship being presumably patched up by the same material. But what really had caught his attention was all the boxes, barrels, and bags. There had been a countless amount; it had looked as if this fox was some sort of hoarder.

''Hallo!'' the fox waved. He scratched at his ear, and licked his chops.

''Hello...?'' General responded.

''I have heard about the bad news. Very, very unfortunate. Tsk tsk...'' the fox drooped his ears, however, he quickly perked back up again. ''Luckily for you, I've come with all of the supplies your little place needs!'' He then patted a crate and smiled, ''Magic!''


	7. Boarding Buddies

_Continuing this...so-called awesomeness. Thanks readers! _

ATTENTION:

_**PoochxStink skunk n' poodle bonding time**...so...That back button's available. Click it, it's waiting. It wants your love, Reader. Otherwise, let the conversations between **Canon-mustild and OC-canid** begin! It's not too much though._

* * *

The Swappers had eventually did a little boarding of their own; Wash Buckler created the brilliant plan of fighting them in their own Skyship. While everyone else was battling baddies, Stink Bomb, of course, had been urged into going down the darkest, creepiest hallway on The Esper. The Esper was more like a mansion than a ship. A creaky, mysterious mansion, that is. There had been a lot of stairs, all leading to various hallways and new things. It was practically like a maze. It was rather confusing; perhaps The Cardmaster had constructed it that way. He wasn't quite sure why he was chosen; there had been other Swappers more put out for a job like that. According to Trap Shadow, apparently not, for he was the one who suggested the idea anyway, Freeze Blade in on it as well. Stink Bomb hadn't missed the little smiles on their faces, it was as if they weren't even trying to hide them. ''Always making me do stuff...'' Stink Bomb muttered. A solemn gust of wind ruffled his fur, it uttering an eerie, whistling swoosh as it passed. The skunk had tightened up a bit. ''That was...odd...'' he continued to speak his mind. He hadn't thought much of it though, for there had been some holes in the ship's interior.

He shuffled his feet, gradually moving forth. Stink Bomb had been given a mission: search for potential hostages. Stink Bomb was doubtful. With all the battle cries and bustling on the deck and in other areas, wouldn't someone screech out by now? Maybe The Cardmaster didn't take prisoners. Maybe The Cardmaster...had slayed them already. Speaking of which, The Cardmaster had been seemingly hiding himself, using all of his crewmates as living shields before he stepped in. He couldn't have started to cower already, could he? Stink Bomb decided not to dawdle on The Cardmaster, narrowing his eyes at the endless hallway in front of him. There hadn't been any doors, or lights, or windows, or captives, nor any Seadogs. But there had been this scent that had been bugging Stink Bomb for a while, and it certainly wasn't him. An aroma was teasing his snout, swirling around the air like it owned the place. Stink Bomb had minuscule nostrils and frankly wasn't the best tracker around. But he definitely could smell that annoying yet wondrous scent. Perfume, one of the other things that went on his weakness list. Even though he could see in the dark, Stink Bomb decided to use the fragrance as a guide.

He wasn't exactly sure where it was coming from, or what danger it would lead to. One thing was for sure though, there were she-beards on this ship. There just had to be! Maybe the weren't evil; Stink Bomb had never even heard of a villain leaving traces of pink perfume! It wouldn't be so farfetched though, since Stink Bomb was starting to believe that anything could happen in Skylands. With a sniff, he continued his journey into the shadows of the empty corridor.

* * *

Poochie had nearly jumped for joy. The Skylanders were actually attacking The Esper! The Skylanders! Everyone else was terrified or bewildered or enraged, but Poochie was grinning from ear to ear. Unfortunately, she and her sisters were locked inside their room, like usual. While Cookie and Candy were playfighting like no tomorrow, Poochie was staring at herself in her big, fancy mirror. Their room was a lot nicer than any other room on The Esper, at least the Trio believed that. The majority of items were all pink or shades of pink. It had been modeled after a child's bedroom, in fact, The Cardmaster had stolen everything from a female Mabu kid. As the Seapoodle gazed deeply at her reflection, she smiled at her garb, delivering a curtsy. She wore a tawny shirt, her sleeves just as puffy as her ears. Her shorts were simply stitched from other patched together by other fabrics. Despite her average appearance, the teeth from fallen opponents were stabbed through her belt, bleached to be pearly white. She pushed back a curl of bouncy fur, before bounding back over to her enemy: the door. Poochie could pick a lock, but not a magical lock. She gnashed her pointed teeth, ''Porte stupide!''

She placed her head against the door, straining her ears. Poochie promptly flinched upon hearing the slightest, faintest stumble of feet. She crouched down to stick her nose at the bottom of the door, taking a few whiffs. That wasn't the scent of any of her crewmates...A Skylander was outside! She had to strangle the yip of excitement rose in her throat. Poochie had almost tinkled out of pure excitement, the inner puppy trying to show itself. ''Stay calm...'' Poochie murmured. But if she didn't make any noises, how would the Skylander find her? The thought had alarmed her. How could she lure a Skylander? That had to be difficult, right? Most of them were rather crafty, according to The Cardmaster's stories. They were dangerous, that was a fact, but nothing would stop her willing to see them, maybe even befriend one...And maybe become more than just a friend. She snapped her fingers.

An idea had popped into her head.

* * *

''Follow me! Cap'n doesn't appreciate slackas!''

Patches had been leading a group of Seadogs, stalking around in search of Skylanders. The Cardmaster had given them direct orders: bring them back alive. They weren't having much luck, though. Somehow, someway, their team was shrinking. It was as if they were just disappearing within thin air. It hadn't bothered Patches had all, just as long as he wasn't going to have the same fate, he was fine. But he did feel like someone was watching him...It had made him feel rather uncomfortable. Their only weapons were small, blunt daggers, which had been quite unfortunate. They had already learned that the Skylanders weren't playing very fair, lasers and long-range shooting thingies weren't exactly what Patches had expected. He gazed around the area, flexing his fingers to get a good grasp on his weapon. They were in the Dining Room, the place where all the fun and games had been earlier in the morning.

He sighed, flattening his ears back in dismay. Patches aimlessly stared at the table. But, he didn't realize of what was happening behind him. Strings of webbing had spiraled around Seadogs, lifting them up into the air, and hanging them onto the ceiling like lanterns. They had looked a bit like plasma cocoons, squirming and fidgeting. Others were tackled by what appeared to be a living shadow, having to time to speak before having a swipe of a claw knock them out.

And now Patches was the last one.

He whirled around with a growl. ''Are ya even here? The Cardmaster-'' the Seadog began. The rest of his words had faltered. He gazed down, finding only two Seadogs. ''Oh, get up you lazy bums! The Cardmaster will have all of our heads!'' Patches promptly kicked one; but his damage hadn't awoken the Seadog. His teammates couldn't be dead, could they? Skylanders weren't known to kill, well, besides The Cardmaster's mother, that is. Patches continued to stare, not sure of what he should do next. They were knocked unconscious, that was a fact. Muffled shrieking had made him snap his attention up, finding a few more of his teammates struggling to break free from webs. Patches blinked, his fur prickling in worry. He couldn't freak out now; The Cardmaster was really a mysterious being, he might have been watching him. If he disobeyed, he would be inured...mortally. There were a bunch of possibilities, all making him shiver. He had two choices: kill or be killed. ''Show...show yourself! You don't know who you're messin' with!'' Patches barked, raising his dagger.

''I think we both do...'' A whisper had made the Seadog, swivel his head, desperately searching for the source. Thankfully, that wasn't The Cardmaster. Unfortunately, it was a Skylander.

''Fight me! Stop bein' a coward!''

''Maybe later, you don't seem as fun as the others were. You look kind of...meek.'' Patches snarled at the Skylander's statement. Meek! He wasn't meek! The Seadog narrowed his eyes, sniffing the air in hopes of locating his opponent.

W-was that laughter? The Skylander was laughing at him! ''You're most definitely meek.''

''Trap, could you stop irritating the dog and grab him, please?''

''Oh, pssh, fine. You're no fun.''

In a seconds, Patches found himself being pummeled by a claw, it pinning him down with extreme pressure. He had already dropped his dagger, fearfully. The Skylander had been here the entire time! How was the even possible!

''Heheh...you're so happy to see me! Patchy, right? I'm going to call you Patchy.'' Trap Shadow purposely grinned to show his large teeth. ''Patchy, if you're careful, I won't hurt you that much. I can smell your fear...''

Spy Rise dropped down from the ceiling after making his final touches to the cocoons, making sure there was a least a small opening for the Seadogs to get some air. ''Well, that wasn't very challenging at all. I do wish they had put up more of a fight.''

''Eh, there's always more where that came from.'' Trap Shadow then turned his attention back to Patches. ''Speaking of which...what're going to do with this guy?'' Guy? Patches wrinkled his snout at the word. He had a better title than just guy. He was Patches the First Mate, not Guy!

''Interrogation.''

''Aggh...Why don't we just finish him?''

Spy Rise ignored him. He then looked at Patches, smiling. ''We're not going to hurt you.''

Trap Shadow snorted, ''I just might.''

Spy Rise darted his eyes towards his partner for a split second, soon going back to Patches.

''I'm not tellin' you anything, spider! I'm not tellin' anything to your kitty friend either!'' The Seadog shouted.

Trap Shadow hissed, whacking the pirate across his face, instantly silencing him after a yelp.

''Stop frightening our new...guest, Trap Shadow. We're here for answers, not bloodshed.''

Trap Shadow muttered something beneath his breath, drawing his ears back. Patches chuffed at Spy Rise, ''What d'you want?''

''That's exactly what I was going to ask you. What are you and your crewmates searching for?''

''Mind your own damn b-'' He received another wallop from Trap Shadow, two actually. Patches scowled, biting his lip in indignation. In return, he gave a death stare to Trap Shadow.

''Would you stop that?!'' Spy Rise exclaimed.

''Hey, it's not bloodshed!''

''You were supposed to be polite. Haven't you watched any detective shows? Mystery shows?''

''Everyday is a mystery around here.'' Trap Shadow shrugged. Spy Rise just sighed, before turned back to Patches. The Seadog was just staring at the dagger, fur bristling. He had to get it. He needed to get it. Unfortunately, his dagger had been demolished, Spy Rise feeling the need to snipe it.

''What was that for, you...you numbskull!'' Patches snapped. Spy Rise hadn't responded though, still keeping his calm expression. ''I don't like you,'' Patches furrowed his brows.

''He gets that a lot.'' Trap Shadow snickered. ''Now shut up, pirate.'' Patches only licked his fangs, keeping quiet for the moment.

Spy Rise cleared his throat, ''I guess that's all settled then...Let's try this again, shall we? Who are you?''

''Patches.''

''You must be a trusted member of The Esper, I suppose. Otherwise, you were just leading a group without The Cardmaster's orders.''

''First Mate.''

''Ah, a deputy, just like me.''

Trap Shadow blinked, ''I thought Blast Zone was the dep-''

''Patches, could you possibly explain why The Cardmaster hates us so much?''

''Why should I? Ask him yourself.''

''See? Even the dirty mutt agrees.'' Trap Shadow nodded. Abruptly, Patches had bitten Trap Shadow, making the cat promptly recoil, leaping off. Seadogs practically known were sharp. They were like furry, doggish sharks, and they acted like it too.

Patches jumped to his feet, hurriedly sprinting off on fours as Spy Rise began to fire at him. He howled, in attempt to alert any pirate passersbys. He smirked, glancing back at the two Skylanders in the distance. They weren't going to get him; not today or any other day. He wasn't ever going to be pushed around by a Sky-

With the quick punch of a boxing glove, he was down for the count. Quite literally...

* * *

Stink Bomb had been staring intently at a cookie for what had seemed like hours. It was just in the middle of the hallway, getting him rather off-task. Was it poisonous? Was one of The Cardmaster's illusions? Spy Rise had always said not to trust strangers, but the cookie definitely wasn't a stranger, it was the thought of running into the stranger that had displayed it there that had worried Stink Bomb. Someone probably put it there, serving as some sort of trap. Stink Bomb certainly wasn't going to fall for it...Not for the moment at least. He frequently moved a foot out, but never took any steps, going back to gaze at it some more.

This had to be a trick, something left as a surprise gift by The Cardmaster. It stood in Stink Bomb's way, as if it deliberately wanted to be eaten. Stink Bomb veered his head away from it. There was still no sign of any prisoners, or hostages, or pretty, little damsels in distress. He couldn't even find his way out of the dreaded place. He couldn't even find his own scent! He was sure that the rest of his friends were doing fine, since he kept hearing the continuous yelping of Seadogs from afar. Unlike Stink Bomb, they sounded like they were having fun. He reluctantly looked towards the cookie again. It casted a chocolaty aroma. The Swappers, unfortunately, had went to battle with empty bellies today, Emerald seemingly bursting out of nowhere to tell them about an _emergency_. The dragons had everything under control, though.

The other Swappers had everything under control...

Stink Bomb continued to stare. There was really only one way to find out if this was truly a danger. Stink Bomb cautiously tipped-toed over to it, as if he'd been searching for spotlights. Trap Shadow had taught him at thing or two about capturing so-called prey, and they wouldn't go to waste. Stink Bomb crouched on all fours, getting into a hunting pose. He promptly pounced. Sadly, his paws hadn't caught the cookie, instead they had captured nothing but the air around him. He blinked. Where was it? Stink Bomb gazed around, sniffing. Where was it?! He searched frantically. He had been closer to the flowery smell than ever before, but his main focus now had been on the cookie. Stink Bomb swiveled his head, soon jolting back at the sight of a door. How could he have missed that? He rose onto his legs, putting a paw onto the door's surface.

A sudden giggling had made him tense up even more. That was the she-beard he'd been looking for. Stink Bomb tilted his head.

''Bonjour!'' The skunk had stumbled back even more at the bark, taking him by complete surprise. ''Bonjour, Skylander!''

Stink Bomb had to recover, bewildered. ''Hello...'' he hesitated.

''Who are you? I mean, I know you're a Skylander, but who are you? You do have a name, right? I bet its a wonderful name. Do you have a name?''

''I think the real question is who are _you_?''

''I asked first, Skylander!''

''I can't say; it's a Skylander thing...'' Stink Bomb scratched his head. Should he even been talking to this...door? For all he knew, that voice could belong to a spy.

''Then can I call you Fluffkins? Or Muffin? Or Munchkin?''

A spy? She was asking all these questions, but she seemed completely harmless with those silly names. Fluffkins and Muffin were the last things had wanted to be called. He was already called Stinky, in fact, he had a bunch of other nicknames. ''On second thought, you can call me Stink Bomb.''

''Haha, why do they call you that?''

''...I'm a skunk.'' Surprisingly, she hadn't run off screaming, as Stink Bomb had expected. Instead, she started another giggle-fit, not in a jeering way though. Stink Bomb rose a brow. Was he missing something here?

''Gazeuse, hein?'' the voice asked.

''Gesundheit...?'' Stink Bomb had been boggled by the words; but that had only led to more snickers. Even though he didn't even know who he was talking to, Stink Bomb smiled. That little tinkly laugh was just too much.

''I must say, you're very skunky. Do you like to...toot your own horn?'' the voice continued to crack herself up. She eventually stopped, slowly panted. ''I am Poochie...''

''Poochie?''

''Poochie.''

''That's a weird name...You are a Seadog, right? Not a hostage?''

''Seapoodle! It's a rare breed. But I dunno what that means...The Cardmaster says I'm pureb-Hostage? Wha? No...at least I don't think so.''

''There are no hostages in this ship?'' Stink Bomb inquired in disbelief. That hadn't sounded right; pirates usually kept prisoners. ''No helpless people that need saving?''

''I'm just as clueless as you...'' This Seapoodle clearly had no idea. Stink Bomb drooped his tail. He'd been walking around, every nook and cranny, for absolutely no reason?! ''You're still out there, right? Stink Bomb?''

Stink Bomb was rather undecided. Should he stay? Or should he leave and help the others, where ever they were? He didn't want to go through the struggle of going around in circles again. Poochie had deemed to be friendly. She must've been the nicest Seadog on The Esper, or she was just trying to use Stink Bomb for answers.

''Skylander...'' Poochie cooed. A fluffy paw had slid out from the bottom of the door, grasping a cookie, much to Stink Bomb's delight. He immediately grabbed it, stuffing it into his mouth without question. Poochie asked, ''You like?''

''I like! Got anymore?'' Stink Bomb licked his paws.

''Lots!''

''Bring it!''

And with that comment, another cookie slide out from the vent. ''Eeee!'' Stink Bomb squeaked, his animalistic side getting to the best of him. The thought of Poochie being dangerous had thinned to nothing, overcome by the blossoming friendship...And cookies. ''Mmpm...'' Stink Bomb murmured, savoring the taste.

''You're funny...I like you.''

''You're not so bad yourself.''

After a long pause, Poochie asked, ''What's it like out there?''

Stink Bomb licked his paws, cleaning some crumbs from his fur. What had she meant? ''On the other side of the door?''

''What's it like being a Skylander? Where do you live? Do you have any siblings? Brother or sister? Do you have a pet? D-do you have an amour? Do you like me? Do you...despise me? Do you like me? I like you. Do you Skylanders ever smooch? Do you like me? What's your backstory? Do you wuv anyone? Who wuvs you? You wuv me, right? Don't you? What sign are you? Are you small? Tall? Do you like me? I like your scent. It smells funny. Do you like my scent? Everyone does! I think you're awesome. Do you think I'm awesome? Can I be your amour?!'' Stink Bomb jolted at all the fast questions that had been thrown at him.

Frankly, he didn't understand any of it. What did _wuv_ even mean? ''Umm...could you run through that again?''

* * *

''One...two...three...''

Magna Charge had been occupied with counting the various crates that he and the others had found. His eyes darted over to the mass destruction the rest of his friends were doing. Freeze Blade was busy mocking the Seadogs, the ones that were hiding desperately, that is. Besides the few pirates that actually showed their faces, the Swappers were just messing around. The Cardmaster's vicious crew had practically surrendered already. The Cardmaster had seemed to be missing.

''What're we supposed to do with these, Magna? I think its treasure.'' Free Ranger was trying to lift some crates, inching towards the Ultron. Magna Charge's concentration had been broken, but he hadn't shown it. He just levitated boxes out of the Storm Chicken's talons, much to the avian's relief. Free Ranger heaved a sigh, ''Thanks.''

''No problem.'' Magna Chage gently placed the boxes down. He gazed back up.

''Lookit this! Weapons!'' Fire Kraken shouted, promptly making Grilla Drilla bound over on his knuckles. The Skylanders had been taking anything that had belong to Windham, demolishing all the other things. Fire Kraken searched around in the chest he had found until whirling around with a mace in his grasp, laughing wildly with his tail coiled around his sparkler staff.

''Kraken, we're on a mission.'' Magna Charge scolded. Fire Kraken slammed the mace into the ground. He then pouted, gaining another look from Magna Charge.

''B-but Freeze Blade gets to have fun!'' Fire Kraken pointed to the ice cat, who had been making silly, teasing faces at a group of Seadogs they had tied up, including Patches.

''Go and boil your head!'' Patches snarled, wriggling around. Freeze Blade had only laughed, continuing to annoy the Seadogs, prodding them. It did indeed look fun, but Magna Charge was surprised the cat's finger hadn't been bitten off already. Earlier, Patches had simply ran right to them, and Night Shift took the opportunity to clock him.

Quite accidently, the Swappers had caused a little mischief along the way, destroying some parts of the ship just by trying to by fraying. They hadn't gotten any reports back from Stink Bomb, nor have they seen him return with any civilians. But they did hear faint laughter, no one sure of where it had come from. They did know that Patches had to have escaped from Spy Rise and Trap Shadow, since Wash Buckler had sent them to look out for any threats. Wash Buckler and Patches had destroyed the Swappers's new ship. Surprisingly, once onboard The Esper, they had found the Sky Barons' lost supplies. It was like The Cardmaster hadn't even tried to conceal them. This whole day had been filled with surprises; Magna Charge had a whole lot of time just to comprehend it.

''Why does The Cardmaster have all these weapons if he even let his crewmates use them? He doesn't even use them himself.'' Wash Buckler was rummaging through the chest of weapons.

'' 'Ey, quit that!'' Patches barked, but everyone had just ignored him, as they had done for a while now.

''Aw, don't be so grumpy.'' Freeze Blade patted the snarling Seadog on his head.

''I hate you.'' Patches gritted through his teeth.

''Hey, maybe we're not so different after all.'' Night Shift smirked. He'd been guarding the Seadogs, although it seemed more like he was protecting the youngest member of the team, just in case anything happened. Of course, he didn't announce that.

A sudden, gruff bark made everyone flinch.

''Be quiet!'' Night Shift struck Patches.

''I don't think that was him.'' Wash Buckler was staring at something in the distance. A Chillydog had stepped out of the shadows, scowling at them.

Patches whistled, ''Lucky! Over here, boy!'' The Seadogs tried to call him-Lucky-over. The Chillydog stalked towards the Skylanders, growling. But then the Skylanders's own reinforcements returned. A red dot had flickered onto the floor, instantly piquing the Chillydog's attention. He woofed, pawing at the dot intently. The dot moved, and the dog followed. They continually did this; that was until Spy Rise had fired some webs at him, tangling him up. Much to his surprise, the dog had somehow teleported out from the webbing. Furiously, he opened his maw, drooling. ''_Rwrff_...''

* * *

Spy Rise had staggered, limping slightly. All of the other Swappers were following behind him, tiredly. Lucky had put up a real fight; he clearly wasn't the average Chillydog. When it had looked like he was defeated, he quickly recovered, snarling like mad. The Cardmaster probably enchanted him, but if not, Lucky was definitely lucky. They had tied him up with his companions, but they were still certain he would manage to escape. Lucky had done a lot more damage to the Swappers than the Seadogs, that was a fact. Now, the Skylanders were searching for Stink Bomb, it just dawning upon them that they had nearly left him. Trap Shadow, though licking his bite wounds and exhausted, he was able to track still. But anyone could track Stink Bomb's scent. Spy Rise halted the Swappers by sticking an arm out. ''You hear that too, right?'' Trap Shadow whispered.

Laughter. Spy Rise nodded. He carefully inched around the wall, the others doing the same. Stink Bomb was apparently...talking to a door. Whatever was happening, Stink Bomb appeared to be having the time of his life, his back up against the door. ''And then I-'' he began.

''W-who are you talking to?'' Spy Rise asked.

Stink Bomb immediately flinched, ''H-hey...''

''Who are you talking to?'' Spy Rise repeated.

''Uhm...It's classified.''

Spy Rise had seemed rather flabbergasted at the reply. He opened his mouth to speak, only to close it. ''Alright...Just get ready to leave, okay?'' He led the others out.

Stink Bomb heaved a sigh, relieved at the sight of them gone. ''I've gotta go...'' Stink Bomb whispered to the door.

''To the potty?'' Poochie inquired quizzically.

''W-wha? No...''

''You're leaving...So soon?''

''Yeah...sorry.''

Poochie whimpered, quite loudly. ''But...but...I just met you.''

''It's important Skylander-y business. Uh...Au revior!''

''Au revior...''

Stink Bomb got up, but much to his surprise, Freeze Blade was still there. The ice cat stared at him, smirking smugly. That couldn't be good.

''What?!'' Stink Bomb exclaimed.

''You've met someone, haven't you?''

''What do you mean?'' Stink Bomb rose a brow.

Freeze Blade snickered, skating up to him, putting an icy arm around his shoulders. ''You know...'' he drawled.

Stink Bomb only snorted, pushing him off and walking away as Freeze Blade began to ask him questions.

* * *

Bursts of jeering laughter had conjured from the bar at the arrival of The Cardmaster. He gnashed his teeth together, holding back the harsh growls that tried to emerge. It was late at night, The Cardmaster's favorite time. He had come alone, for he had decided that his crewmates were utterly useless. He had been the laughing-stock for Salty Shores for some time now. Around here, he was simply just the lunatic who believed he was a Portal Master. His beliefs of power were the lies fed to him on a silver platter by Eon, the lethal lies that filled his mind with unsightly thoughts. The pain was of others was truly relishing, it had relieved the darkness inside of him. But even then, that darkness needed to be unleashed someday. Someday.

''The Cardmaster! Hahaha!'' he glazed over all the pirates chortling at him. They too would be begging for mercy in the future, he knew it. Being an ultimate Portal Master, he was a prophet as well. He knew he wasn't going to win the battle for Dragon's Peak, but he also knew that Crook wouldn't fail him. That fox was slick, making Windham go under more devastation wasn't very difficult. They were just bird; just stupid birds! They were too easy to manipulate. Creating an alliance with them would be helpful though; The Esper had gone through too much already, some Sky Baron ships were more adapted to the sky. ''Look it's a Portal Master!'' The Cardmaster flattened his ears back at the exclaim.

''I am here for the owner of this bar. Is the owner here?'' The Cardmaster barked. As if on cue, a Squidface Brute narrowed his eyes at him, sitting with a group of burly Seadogs. ''You, you are the one I am searching for, yes?''

''Correct.'' the Squidface grumbled. He got up from the table with a grunt, trudging towards The Cardmaster, dragging his hefty anchor across the floor. ''What are ya here for, loony?''

''Ha, loony!'' Some more snickers barged in. The Cardmaster grimaced at them, but that hadn't really cared, too busy cracking up. ''Loony!''

The Cardmaster turned back to the Squidface. The brute had almost loomed over him. ''I am in need of some of this...bar. Do we have a deal, yes? Okay, hand them over.''

''My bar?''

''No...'' The Cardmaster's voice dripped with sarcasm.

''You want my bar?! You better scram, runt!''

''Why should-'' The Cardmaster began. The Squidface Brute had swung his anchor, but The Cardmaster quickly ducked. ''That was rude.''

''If you want my bar, you'll have to-''

''Fight for it? Alright, but just to warn you, I am a Portal Master.'' The Cardmaster smirked. Everyone in the bar had silenced themselves, eager to watch the tussle.

''I don't care!'' the Squidface Brute bellowed. The pirate raised his weapon in hopes of slamming in down on The Cardmaster, but his enemy had simply dodged out of the way. The Squidface Brute struggled to pull it out of the floor, but it didn't budge.

The Cardmaster turned towards the nearest table, crowded by Seadogs. He promptly leapt onto it, making the Seadogs bolt away. The Squidface gave up on the weapon, scowling at The Cardmaster. ''I'll kill you, runt!''

The Seadog was indeed getting slightly worried. He gazed at his paws, but no magic had appeared. ''Lookin' for this?'' The Cardmaster whipped around to find that another Seadog had taken his dagger. The Cardmaster snarled at the laughing stealer. But as he was having a stareoff, the Squidface Brute had pummeled into the table he had stood on, knocking him and a few others down. The Cardmaster was thrown around a bit before being slid across various tables. Unfortunately, glasses had been in the way, and so glass had dug into his skin. He finally tobbled of the edge of a table, hitting the ground with a yelp. To tell the truth, he hadn't prophesied that outcome. The Squidface stalked towards him; he was relentless! But The Cardmaster wasn't finished either. He closed his eyes, concentrating deeply, murmuring to himself.

''Aw, he's praying.'' he flicked his ears at a giggle.

The Cardmaster inhaled and exhaled. This needed to work! This needed to work! The Squidface had glared at him, furiously. ''I'm gonna en-'' The Squidface began. The Cardmaster swiped the air with a paw, and a dreadful shriek was heard.

He opened his eyes.

The Squidface was holding what had appeared to be a blue stump with his left hand, blubbering. What happened? He glanced down, eyes widening at the limp hand that had been on the floor. It was twitching. The Cardmaster looked up at paw. Blue had sprayed it, mushy morsels of flesh on his claw. Blood? Blood! The Cardmaster grinned deviously at the sight, his eyes darting to the writhing hand and back to his own. He'd done it! His _real,_ threatening magic was back again!

''My hand! My hand!'' the Squidface Brute cried. The Cardmaster looked around at the shocked faces of the pirates. They whispered among themselves, ''D-did he just...?''

The Cardmaster rose a paw, and thrust it forward. The Squidface fell back at the force, much to The Cardmaster's delight. ''Pfft, it'll grow back!'' The Seadog staggered up, panting. ''Now, who wants to join me?''


	8. Mine!

_Yep, Poochomb, Stinkie, insert other Stink BombxPoochie shipping names. Poochie and Stink weren't even supposed to have their moment then; I just thought it would be good to introduce their relationship like that. It seemed weird to introduce Poochie, and then wait a bunch of other chapters until the lovebirds meet in another pirate Cloudbreak bar and-**SPOILERS**_

_Anywho, I feel like I should bring this up, the real trekking part should be around chapter 10-15, but I'm not making any promises. Last time it took twenty four chapters to make the true adventure begin..._

* * *

''It looks a tad bit...flimsy.'' Spy Rise commented. It had been time to deliver the some supplies back to Windham, but like always, the Swappers had ran into a few problems. But they were leaving early, it in the middle of dawn, so the Rapid Winds would be crossed of their conflict list. Sprocket had been thoughtful enough to provide some fast transportation. Some odd, broken down transportation...

''It's a perfectly fine hot air balloon. It's just a little old, but it still works.'' Sprocket replied.

''It looks more like something from thrift shop,'' Grilla Drilla poked at the wicker basket of the balloon. ''Like a hand-me-down.''

''**AFFIRMATIVE. IT IS A HAND-ME-DOWN.**'' Drobot nodded. Sprocket glanced at him, grimacing, as if she wanted to whack the dragon with her wrench. ''**THAT IS THE TRUTH, SPROCKET.**''

''Okay, yes, it is a hand-me down per se. I-it was free! I found it. So I thought, why not get it? Flynn's off doing something _important_, Sharpfin's all the way out in Cloudbreak, and we need some sort of transportation.''

Trap Shadow grunted, ''Can't we just use the Portals? It's a lot faster than this...thing. And we could just rent one of the hot air balloons from Lost Islands...'' Drobot shook his head. ''What? What do you mean no?''

''**USING THE PORTALS WILL**** FRIGHTEN THE SKY BARONS. THEY WILL SEE YOU AS ENEMIES, AND WILL MOST LIKELY KILL YOU ON** **SIGHT.**''

''That's not very reassuring.'' Stink Bomb winced. Being killed on sight was definitely something the Swappers didn't want to face. They were already on The Cardmaster's death list, at least they thought they were. He hadn't said that he was going to kill them like other, regular villains. In fact, the Skylanders hadn't even understood why he was after them. Perhaps it was like everyone else's plan: defeat the Skylanders and take over Skylands.

''**THE LOST ISLANDS ARE CURRENTLY FACING THE RAPID WINDS.**''

''Some of us can teleport without Portals.'' Night Shift said.

''But can you teleport everyone else with you?'' Sprocket questioned. ''I've never seen you attempt that before. It would be neat to watch.''

''Ooo, it does seem like a neat trick! Let's do that!'' Hoot Loop clapped his talons together in delight. He'd appeared rather careless about this transportation situation, floating upside in mid-air with a smile upon his face.

''You mean, it _did_ seem like a neat trick. You've tried that before...It was like being blasted apart all over again. It never works.'' Doom Stone stated. Most of the teleporting incidents had ended up to be failures. A lot of the time during the accidents, the Swappers unwillingly switched parts...usually with explosion for an unknown reason. On a rare occasion, they had been completely separated, their bottom halves seemingly missing. So, they had to crawl around with their hands until they found them. The art of Swapping was quite bizarre, anyway. Sometimes it happened on pure accident, much to their dismay.

''Oh, right...'' Hoot Loop frowned. He perked up though, staring at the hot air balloon. The balloon altogether was kind of dreadful. Some white tape had was covering the misfortunates of the blue balloon. The cords kind of looked like they were going to snap. The basket was deformed, dented and distorted as if it had been in some battle. ''How are we supposed to fit into that?''

''It has enough space...I think.'' Wash Buckler peered into the strange basket. Jet-Vac did the same. He had joined the Swappers on their mission. Since he was a Sky Baron originating from Windham, he knew the most about his folk, and so it wasn't hard to accept him on their delivery adventure. ''What d'you think?'' Wash Buckler turned to the Sky

''Hm, Boom Jet, Blast Zone, and I can fly. That should make it a little easier.'' Jet-Vac then turned to the other Swappers. They were jabbering about different ideas.

''What if we don't scare the Sky Barons? They wouldn't kill us, right?'' Fire Kraken suggested.

''If we don't scare them, we could anger them, which would probably end up the same way.'' Blast Zone said.

''Can't we ride on Flavius's back?'' Free Ranger asked. ''He said that-''

''Boom Jet should deliver the supplies.'' Rubble Rouser commented.

''What? I can't carry all of that!''

''Then you could swap with Magna, and create Magna Jet, so you could lift the crates. It's simple!''

''Wait..How are we even supposed to put the crates in there?'' Stink Bomb pointed towards the basket. That was a good point. It didn't even look like it could fit a few of them in there; how could a bunch of boxes fit as well?

''I'm glad you asked. Take it away, Drobot.'' Sprocket turned towards the dragon, smiling.

Drobot cleared his throat, sounding quite odd with that robotic voice of his. He padded over to a side of the basket, grasping something. The dragon pulled back, revealing a thick, trap-like net. ''**WE INTRODUCE OUR NEW INNOVATION TO THE HOT AIR BALLOON, THE GRAPPLER. IT IS THE MOST FINEST TECHNOLOGY WE HAVE CREATED. IT IS ABLE TO HOLD...A LOT OF THINGS. IT IS AWESOME.**''

''It's just a net.'' Trap Shadow snorted. ''Anyone could make a net.''

''Uh, Eruptor, Stump Smash, Prism Break-'' Sprocket began to count on her fingers.

''**NEGATIVE, IT IS NOT JUST A NET. IT IS BETTER THAN A REGULAR NET. INQUIRE SPY RISE, HE HELPED US CREATE THE NET.**'' Drobot interrupted. Everyone's attention had been set onto him, making him tense up a bit. ''**DON'T YOU AGREE, SPY RISE?**''

''...It's a net.''

''But it's a great net. Think of the Grappler as...as a new weapon. I'm sure it'll help you somewhere.'' Sprocket added.

''We're not here to argue about the subject of nets, is this basket stable or not?'' Night Shift decided that he was fed up with the nets, shouldering through the others.

''Stable..._ish_.'' Jet-Vac placed his talons on the beaten rim of the basket.

''It's stable. I wouldn't lie about technology, you know th-'' Sprocket started.

''Great, that's very nice. Now can we leave already?!''

* * *

''Are we there yet?''

Freeze Blade had been asking the same question over and over again. They had expected this from the youngest member. Sometimes, he didn't really act his age. He was more like a kitten than anything. Night Shift had been eager to leave, but now, all he wanted to do was bash his head with his own punches.

''No...'' the other Swappers groaned.

''Why can't you just...be patient for one day in your life?'' Rubble Rouser asked.

''I dunno. Why's the sky blue? Why am I blue?'' Freeze Blade shrugged.

''We're getting close though.'' Jet-Vac announced. Freeze Blade perked up at the good news, beaming.

Trap Shadow did the same, ''Finally. It's way too cramped in here.'' Jet-Vac's plan hadn't gone as smoothly as they'd thought. It was still extremely tight, compact, as if the walls were about to close on them, swallowing them up.

Free Ranger and Fire Kraken were the only ones inside of the basket enjoying the ride. Fire Kraken hung his head outside doggishly, tongue flapping in the wind like a kite. Free Ranger had simply been enjoying the weather, smiling with delight at the breeze that fluffed his feathers. Being a Storm Chicken, he was quite fond of running out in the middle of a hurricane or tornado, while everyone else was cowering. He was the quite the storm chaser, thought of being kind of insane amongst others.

Suddenly, two black figures had zipped right past the hot air balloon, leaving a line of feathers. Sky Barons. They were screeching at each other, spiraling around, quarreling. They hadn't looked like Sky Barons at all at first; their feathers were matted and grungy, ragged cloths finishing it off. The fighting Sky Barons didn't even have weapons. They were just using their beaks, nipping and snatching what had appeared to be a pearl necklace from each other. They hadn't looked civilized at all. Unfortunately for them, they had dropped the necklace. They uttered squawks of surprise, watching it fall down into the blue. Once out of their sight, the Sky Barons attacked each other again.

''That was...weird.'' Free Ranger cocked his head.

''That was surprisingly entertaining.'' Night Shift remarked.

''Are your people always like that, Jet-Vac?'' Magna Charge asked.

''No...At least I don't think so. Windham's changed over the years. Perhaps some ruffians have emerged.''

The Skylanders had finally landed in their destination. Windham had looked virtually different, according to Jet-Vac. The gates in front of them were rusted, completely taking away its original color. The stone flooring was damp, somewhat blackened by what had appeared to be ashes. The pillars around them were cracked, gashes and markings etched into them.

Rattle Shake flickered his frail tongue out, tasting the air intently. ''No sign of dangerous, sharpshooting guards.'' But, there was an ill scent in the air. It was almost unexplainable, and was kind of smoky. His pupils darted as he checked his surroundings.

''Do you think they expected us?'' Grilla Drilla asked. ''The gates are open.''

''Well, that's a surprise.'' Jet-Vac tilted his head.

''There still could be booby traps everywhere. I've read about these Sky Barons, they're clever. So, watch your step. This could be some sort of trick...'' Trap Shadow responded, crouching to paw at the floor.

''Booby...'' Freeze Blade was struggling to keep down his cackling, grinning like no tomorrow.

''_Shusssh_! They could be watching...'' Trap Shadow hissed. He really, really got serious about being stealthy. One simple mishap and he'd lash out in annoyance. He sniffed at the ash on his paw before being caught off guard by something. The sabertooth flicked his ears, listening intently. ''Do you hear that?'' he whispered.

''No.'' The Skylanders replied in unison.

Trap Shadow muttered something to himself with a groan. ''See, this is why you all need me, you'd be totally lost without me. How do you not hear that? Has Sonic Boom been screeching in yours ears for ages or something? Geez...''

''I think you're forgetting that you're the one with the sensitive ears...'' Stink Bomb said.

''It's there again.'' Trap Shadow perked his ears up, looking like some sort of alerted Dragonbunny.

''I don't hear any-'' Rubble Rouser began.

''**SQUAAAAAWK!**''

''There it is.'' Trap Shadow smirked. He hastily grabbed the amazing Grappler with his teeth, getting onto his fours. ''Follow me!'' he dashed off. The Skylanders didn't have to be told twice. Like the entrance, Windham's interior looked just as strange. It was looked as if it had been deserted. Debris had cluttered the streets, giving it even more of a off-putting appearance. But, the Skylanders weren't here for a tour. That noise was definitely a shriek of distress.

''It's mine!''

''No it's not!''

Trap Shadow stopped himself at the sight of two, small Sky Barons. He wasn't able to tell if they were playfighting or actually trying to slaughter each other. They didn't look like very good fighters, frankly, it didn't even look like they were doing each other much harm. But there was some tension between the two. Jet-Vac had been the first to react, promptly getting in between them, while the Swappers held the duo back the best they could.

''Let me goooo!'' the female flailed her talons, struggling.

''Let me at her! Let me at her!'' the male clacked his beak, snapping the air. But the Swappers certainly wouldn't release them.

''Woah, woah, woah...What's going on here?'' Jet-Vac asked.

''He took my jewels!''

''I did not!''

''Did too!''

These two were clearly young, their lingo, size, and molting feathers showing that. Sky Barons weren't usually like this, and they were rather peaceful beings. But, ever since the invasion of the trolls, a mark in Sky Baron history where their homeland was raided, they had changed a bit, strengthening their aggressiveness. Still, they weren't known to just jump on their own kind and rip their feathers off for no reason.

''What jewels?'' Jet-Vac glanced at the two of them, analyzing their appearance. Their young fluff was dull, as if they had rolled around in soggy mud and gray smog. The girl wore a dress, tattered at the edges, looking like it had been purposely cut. A black beret was squarely placed upon her head, it tipping oddly to the side. The male wore a tunic, just as ragged and dank as the female's garb.

''He took them! Mine!''

''Noooo! She's lying!''

''You stole them! Stop denying it!''

''Hey, calm down, lass. Calm down...'' Jet-Vac interrupted. The girl, surprisingly, followed the order, exhaling. She still scowled at the boy, though. Jet-Vac signaled the Swappers, and they released their grip. The hatchlings hadn't gone back at to fighting. Instead, they just stared at each other, feathers prickling. ''Could you tell me your names?''

''I'm Bella,'' she said, ''and that **buffoon** over there is my brother, Breeze.''

''Buffoon!'' Breeze squawked. He seemed like was about to tussle again, clenching his fists.

Bella smirked at her brother, but she soon looked back up at Jet-Vac, and then to the Swappers. ''Who're you all? Mum doesn't like us talking to strangers. She says they could take your treasures with the twinkling of a eye, like my brother.'' Before anyone could say anything, her eyes widened in excitement. ''You're all Skylanders, aren't you?''

Everyone had nodded. Bella tilted her head, ''You're not pulling my feathers, are you? Oh, of course you aren't, I've read about all of you! That's enough facts for me.''

''Skylanders?'' Breeze questioned. ''But why are you he-''

''That's not important! They've got lots and lots of treasure...Right?'' Bella barged in. ''Gems, diamonds, and gold?''

''Not exactly.''

''No.''

''Negative.''

''We don't get paid...''

All of the Swappers responded unanimously.

Bella glazed her eyes over everyone suspiciously, ''All that armor looks..._expensive_.''

''Yeah...Real _expensive_.'' Breeze nodded.

''Sorry, they're not for sale.'' Wash Buckler snickered.

''Awwww...'' the two, Sky Baron siblings moaned.

''But, we do have some supplies to deliver...that contains-'' Wash Buckler began.

''Gold?!''

''Kind of. Uhm, could you show us to some sort of post office...er...'' Wash Buckler replied.

The two hesitated a bit, as if something dreaded was being conjured in their minds. They then smiled and Bella said, ''We'll see what we can do.''

That hadn't seemed very trustworthy.

As Bella and Breeze led them, they continued to push each, jeering. But Jet-Vac had promptly stepped in between them again. The rest of the town was dark, and it looked ill, like Rattle Shake had stated. Maybe it was because of all the destruction The Cardmaster had caused. Ramses had never said anything about it looking this bad, though.

Clamoring began to emerge as they inched closer into the Plaza. Sky Barons were cluttered, all eagerly staring at something. Stink Bomb promptly closed his eyes at the sight, halting in place, receiving some looks from the Swappers.

''Something's goin' on over there!'' Breeze pointed. The Swappers glanced towards Stink Bomb again, ''Oooh...'' There was indeed a crowd, which unfortunately was something on Stink Bomb's weakness list.

Bella gasped, ''Do you think that fox is back?!''

''I hope he is! He's got lots of treasure!'' Breeze nodded.

''What fox?'' Wash Buckler asked. Foxes were common in Cloudbreak; he hadn't seen many around the other parts of Skylands, not ones that weren't on vacation. But the Sky Baron kids hadn't replied. Wash Buckler turned to Jet-Vac, ''What fox?''

''I'm just as clueless as you. I've never heard of about any foxes in Windham...It's probably some merchant, a lot of them come back to make profit.''

''Well, that doesn't seem harmful or anything.'' Wash Buckler said. ''Foxes aren't usually...evil. Some are sly though, that's what I've heard anyway.'' He turned back to the crowd. ''Let's check this out though. Could be fun! Could be a play...or some show...or...''

Spy Rise rolled his eyes. Wash Buckler was always getting distracted by something. He was just plain excitable. Spy Rise had wanted to say: ''We have a quest to finish...Remember?'' But he knew that no one would listen to him. Wash Buckler was the leader, whatever he said went. Sometimes, Spy Rise had wanted to be leader. He was a lot more intelligent, formidable, and strategical. Wash Buckler was..._unique_. He was a pirate after all. Spy Rise reluctantly followed behind the team, excluding Stink Bomb and Trap Shadow.

''Just think of meadows, flowers, sunshine, and cute Dragonbunnies.'' Trap Shadow used the best calming voice he could muster, pulling Stink Bomb forward.

''That doesn't really help when you're dragging me like your prey.'' Stink Bomb responded. Trap Shadow had ignored the response, since he was surprisingly able to bring him into the crowd. Rattle Shake flickered his tongue out again. The scent was even stronger than before. Something was definitely not right here.

Sky Barons fluffed their wings, anxiously. They conversed, some in low whispers, some in squawks.

''Do you think Chester's returned?''

''I think, I-I think he has!''

''Is he gonna give us more trinkets? I like trinkets.''

''He's going to return, I know it! I saw his ship just a few hours ago!''

''General's so selfish...Nothing like Chester. Aquila's like a dragon, hoardin' everything for himself. Chester should be leader!''

Everyone's clothes were the same as Bella and Breeze's, stained, tattered, and such.

''Who's Chester?'' Fire Kraken asked, a little too loud.

''He's only the most amazing fox that's ever existed! He gave me this!'' a bluish Sky Baron whipped around, showing a bunch of shimmering, golden bracelets on her arm.

''That's nothing! Look at these!'' a white Sky Baron did the same, revealing lots of coins in his talons. The two Sky Barons looked at the Fire Kraken. Not surprisingly, they hadn't even asked why there was a Sparkler Dragon in Windham, their eyes were just fixed onto the shiniest items they could spot on him. ''Hm, that armor looks quite...extravagant. Say, what's the price for one of those...golden thingies on your arm, dragon?'' the first one asked.

Fire Kraken only blinked, ''Wha?''

''He doesn't want your bloody bracelets! Please, reconsider, I can give you my share!'' the second Sky Baron padded towards him, expectantly holding his talons out. ''These are very, very special. They're magical according to Chester. I want you to have them. Well, you know, in exchange for those _beauties_.''

''Sir, Mister Dragon, you definitely don't want that garbage! Surely, you have a...special someone out there, she'll instantly fall in love if you bring her these. I'll just be needed the gold, though.''

Breeze perked his head up from the crowd, ''How much are you selling those for?'' He scampered over to the two.

''Depends.'' the female Sky Baron said. ''What do you plan on giving me in return?''

''Well-''

''Nothing!'' Bella promptly pushed Breeze aside. She turned to him with a whisper, although she didn't keep a very good job of keeping it low, ''Don't give your treasure to these weird grownups, we'll get even more when Chester arrives!'' Breeze nodded with a little smile, but he still couldn't retain himself from staring at the bracelets and coins.

Chester this, Chester that. It was as if Chester was a god of some sort! Who was Chester? Why was he so important?! Before anymore questions could be thought of, a ship had been seen in the distance. Pirates? Wash Buckler had promptly unsheathed his cutlass. A Sky Baron, in the midst of the clutter, had fainted, and fortunately it wasn't because of the scent from any claustrophobic, frightened, ninja skunks. Nonetheless, no one even glanced down at the Sky Baron, too invested at the sky.

''Chester!'' There was a wave of squawking approval.

Chester, the talk of the whole Windham Plaza, had arrived.

* * *

Chester was a fox, as stated by many, many civilians before, so they didn't even have to look directly at him to know that. Various jewelry adorned his clothing, making him look more like a king than any average fox. His tail and exposed fur were rather glossy, shimmering just like precious treasures he wore. A staff was in his right hand, of course, being golden, like a vibrant shade of the sun. Gems were encrusted into that, as well. To top him off, a crown was placed upon his head, sparkling. He waved with his free hand before popping a lid off a crate with his staff, searching through it. He grabbed a handful of what he could find.

Chester perked his head, smiling. He threw a variety of riches towards the crowd, ''I bring you all...Gifts!'' The Sky Barons scattered, their talons out in hopes of catching them. ''There is plenty for everyone!'' Chester announced, much to the delight of the Sky Barons.

Stink Bomb had still refused to open his eyes, ''What's going on?''

''Uhm, well, there's a fox, and he's giving out...Free stuff.'' Free Ranger summed up, tilting his head.

''That sounds nice.'' Stink Bomb remarked. ''What's he giving away?''

''Treasure. Say, should we bring some of this stuff back? Look at this thing... It's shiny.'' Grilla Drilla waved a glistening, miniature snowglobe, bedazzled with a little bit of glitter at its bottom.

''Magnificent!'' Hoot Loop scooped the globe out of his hands, hooting at it intently. A few other Swappers, Freeze Blade, Fire Kraken, Free Ranger, and Magna Charge, raced towards them.

''Oooooh...'' they all awed. Hoot Loop shook it up, gaining even more _oooohs_. ''Ahhhhh...''

''Let me try! Lemme try!'' Freeze Blade raised a paw.

''Pick me!'' Fire Kraken called.

Wash Buckler, fighting back not to stare at the intriguing trinket, watched the fox toss more valuables. Some hit the ground and broke into pieces, but the Sky Barons hadn't cared. It was still shiny. They risked getting sharp slabs of glass and such getting stuck in their talons. It was still shiny, and that was all that mattered. Trap Shadow and Rattle Shake were sharing a compass, amazed by it. Rattle Shake hadn't seemed uncomfortable anymore, too busy staring at compass. The though of free stuff was great and all, but something still wasn't right about this whole thing. Doom Stone exchanged a glance to Wash Buckler, the stone warrior pointing his sword towards the net of their own treasures.

''Oh, right!'' Wash Buckler had almost forgotten. It had been the reason they were here in the first place. Somehow, it was unscathed. Perhaps the cluster of greedy Sky Barons just hadn't noticed.

''This fox is here, the Sky Barons have their full attention onto him, Stink Bomb is acting as if he's blind, and half the team over there are fiddling with a snowglobe.'' Spy Rise reported. ''What's your plan?''

''Uh..hm...Nothing really.'' Wash Buckler shrugged. Spy Rise gave him a look, that typical, brow raised look. ''What? What?! I'm not the...techy dude here.''

Spy Rise sighed, ''I guess we should just wait General.''

''I didn't even know we had a new leader. It'd be nice to meet him.'' Jet-Vac commented.

As if on cue, a shrill, hoarse shriek had alarmed the three, making them look to the right. A Sky Baron was slouched, staring at them intently. His feathers were gray, a few of them a greenish and purple tint, giving him a pigeon-like appearance. He was mottled with some white. The Sky Baron beckoned to them before slipping behind the wall of a building.

''D'you think we should follow him?'' Wash Buckler asked. Spy Rise hadn't replied, already in the midst of following the Sky Baron.

* * *

''I am Aquila. Or...or was it Equinox? Or Quil? Gah, you may call me General.'' the Sky Baron croaked, wincing his eyes. Wash Buckler, Spy Rise, and Jet-Vac were gathered around the Sky Baron. A tent was his home, it standing behind him. ''I have never seen Sky Barons like you all before. It must just be my eyesight. I'm gettin' too old for all this gold hubbub.'' He blinked, ''My apologies, you are all just...strange.''

''Well, we're not all Sky Barons.'' Wash Buckler said with a nod towards Jet-Vac.

''My, my visitors. Would you like a spot of tea? O-or some sugarcubes? Tea with sugarcubes? Yes, of course you do. You've probably come a long way. Hehehe, you didn't ran into those...those wind thingies, no? I hope you didn't...Or maybe I should. I don't remember. Wot are those windy storms again. Ah, yes, earthquakes, I knew that.'' General rambled. He skittered into his tent.

The trio of Skylanders all exchanged glances, but didn't say anything. General didn't seem quite right in the head. Nonetheless, the other Sky Barons didn't seem right in the head.

''Here we are. Teatime, my favorite time. Unlike a _few other Sky Barons_ I know...'' General's tone of voice changed, rather frostily. He fluffed his feathers out a bit, before handing Spy Rise the tea, and giving the platter to Jet-Vac.

''Um...'' Jet-Vac stared at it, bewildered.

''T-thanks.'' Spy Rise mustered a smile.

''Sugarcubes?!'' General turned to Wash Buckler, grasping a tiny, brown bag of sugarcubes. He waited expectantly for the Mermasquid to take it.

Wash Buckler reluctantly tipped his hat in approval, gradually taking the bag from him.

General clapped his hands together, ''Good! Now, wot are you boys here for 'gain? Oh, right, I was going to warn you. Hahaha, silly me.'' He then furrowed his brows, his happiness seemingly decimating in seconds. ''Windham has changed.'' he sighed, peeking over at the crowd from a far. ''Beware of that fox.''

''Beware of the fox?'' Jet-Vac echoed.

''Yes, yes. That backstabber is up to no good, I just know it. He's takin' my leadership day by day. Grubby mooch.'' General's feathers shook in indignation.

''The fox those civilians are calling...Chester, sir?'' Spy Rise shouldered through Jet-Vac and Wash Buckler to get closer. His interrogation had kicked in.

General's eyes widened, ''Yes! How did you know? Are you some sort of prophet?''

Spy Rise smiled. ''That's classified.''

''He's not a prophet.'' Wash Buckler said. He then turned towards Spy Rise, raising a brow. ''Or are you?''

''Chester was an rather...uninvited guest. He's quite the manipulator, yes? I had no idea someone could hoard so much treasure! It was amazing! We could've been wealthy for centuries! And they were magical! But, my fellow Sky Barons had turned on me, ultimately making Chester superior in everyway. Now, I am only a hermit. Hehe,_ traitors_...They plucked out me feathers. They clocked me in the head! They're ruining this place. No, Chester's ruining this place. My place. Alas, he's got tons of treasure and trinkets, who could ask for more?! But I still hate him...And yet I tolerate him. Wot would you call that, fellas? Frenemies? Hah, it's all the same to me!'' General's ramble proved itself to be even more boggling than before. Did he dislike him? Or did he like him? He said it at such as fast speed the Skylanders couldn't even comprehend most of his words.

''So...is Chester some sort of acquaintance?'' Spy Rise asked.

General only stared blankly in confusion.

''Nevermind.''

''So, there's some sort of rivalry between you two?'' Wash Buckler inquired, just as confused as General. ''I didn't quite catch the love-hate part.''

The question had simply slipped past General's mind. ''Chester needs to be defeated! Killllled!''

Killed? Killed? The Skylanders didn't exactly _kill, _per se. Yes, they did kill, but not without reason. Chester hadn't seemed that bad; he was indeed giving riches to the poor, ragged Sky Barons. Wasn't that good? General squawked, shaking the feathers around his head. He scowled at the sudden cheer from the Sky Barons. The elder then looked back up at the Skylanders. ''That is where you step in.'' he smirked.

''What?!'' the Skylanders asked in unison.

''Ta-ta!'' General waved. He swiftly fluttered back into his tent, with an maniacal laugh, of course. The Skylanders stared for a moment, hoping that he would pop back out of the tent, hoping that he was just joking around. But the Sky Baron had gone for good.

''W-what was that about?'' Wash Buckler's face was pure bemusement. He looked towards Jet-Vac, expecting an answer. The Air Skylander had only shrugged. Wash Buckler then looked towards Spy Rise; surely he would have some sort of explanation.

''Insanity.'' his voice was filled with uncertainty, though.

The three Skylanders had returned back into the plaza. Jet-Vac was actually drinking tea with sugarcubes, and was enjoying it. He acted as if it was the best thing ever, proudly strutting around with his tea. Perhaps the General's weirdness and the town's gloom hadn't spread to it. The crowd still hadn't left yet, just as joyous as before. For some reason, the team was surrounding Hoot Loop, intrigued by something. Trap Shadow then swiveled his head to arriving trio, his ears perked up as always. He had sensed them, just as quick as that. ''Take a look at this.'' he gestured his head towards Hoot Loop.

Without question, they walked towards the group. Wash Buckler rose a brow, ''What?''

''I think you'll find this to be...interesting.'' Hoot Loop held up a book, smiling for some reason. The book looked rather hefty, and Hoot Loop's hand shifted a bit at its weight. It appeared to be just as bad as the hot air balloon, beat up and disfigured. It smelt of seawater, as if had been drenched in it for ages. An old card was sticking from one of the pages like a bookmark. But the one thing that stood out the most was the large, blackened pawprint on its cover. It had belonged to a Seadog.

''How the heck did you find this? You didn't steal from the Esper, right? Not like that I have a problem with that or anything.''

''Chester.'' Hoot Loop responded. He flipped the book open, happily. ''He gave this to me. Isn't that wonderful?''

_This guy is obviously related to The Cardmaster, but how?_ Wash Buckler thought. _Is he like an assassin? Or is just a regular harmless fox...Naah._

The Skylanders watched intently as Hoot Loop flipped the pages. Randomly, a splash of color had been seen on one page, but Hoot Loop didn't seem to notice.

''Wait, go back, I think that was a picture! All of this other stuff is boring. It's just words.'' Freeze Blade briefly placed a paw on the _boring_ page. Hoot Loop went back a few pages, stopping on the colorful one.

There were a lot of scribbles, everywhere, as if this was a coloring book.

''Does The Cardmaster have some child onboard? Or some children?'' Free Ranger cocked his head.

''Not that I know of...It didn't say anything about that.'' Hoot Loop turned his head as well. Free Ranger flipped the page, finding big, dark, red letters that read-

''Poochie wazz heres...'' The Skylanders read aloud. Poochie wazz heres? Poochie was here?

''That definitely sounds like a Seapup.'' Magna Charge remarked.

Free Ranger nodded, ''Well, whoever Poochie is, he, she...or it, left us notes.''

Freeze Blade squinted, ''Why does that name sound familiar?'' He then turned to Stink Bomb, smiling. ''Oh that's right! That's your babe!'' the ice cat nudged Stink Bomb, making the skunk slightly recoil. Stink Bomb could flinch at anything. A small jab and he'd collapse as if he'd been bulldozed. ''Why didn't you introduce her sooner?'' Freeze Blade continued to poke.

''She's not my _babe_.'' Stink Bomb responded, doing an amazingly, accurate impression of Freeze Blade.

''Babe? Stink Bomb has a girl? Am I hearing things?'' Wash Buckler questioned. As if that was an alarm, full attention was set onto the skunk, who shifted his feet a little.

''What?'' Stink Bomb smiled bashfully.

''That was the classified information?'' Spy Rise asked in disbelief.

''Kinda. W-well, I didn't want you to break open the door and fight a sweet, little Seapoodle!''

''Seapoodle?'' Magna Charge was already intrigued. ''Is that some sort of subspecies of Seadogs. Or are they not related to them at all? What are they like? How fluffy are they?''

''It's a rare breed.'' Stink Bomb replied. ''Poochie's a good pirate, like Wash Buckler. And she's French. I could only feel her paws...Her paws are really, really _superfluffy_...'' he began to daydream, staring off into space.

''And she has no sense of smell, perhaps?'' Trap Shadow snickered, rudely interrupting Stink Bomb's fantasy.

''For your information, she _wuvs_ my scent.''

''That's impossible. Are you sure she's not totally insane? W-what does wuv even mean?''

''Sane or insane, she's left us a lot of pictures.'' Free Ranger barged in, taking the book from Hoot Loop. ''Some of this could be important. This is The Cardmaster's book; there has to be something other than scribbles and torn pages.'' He continued to analyze, looking for informative pages.

Freeze Blade groaned, ''Yeah, tons of other things that aren't interesting. Let's look at some more of those Poochie drawings, hm? She wrote some stuff, right?''

Free Ranger hadn't meant to, but he stopped on another one of Poochie's pages. A strangely drawn Spyro was on it, in the midst of flying, while Poochie and two other poodle-like figures were onto of him, riding. A little more doodles under it were Stealth Elf, Eruptor, Terrafin, and Chop Chop.

As Freeze Blade bugged Free Ranger some more, Wash Buckler felt as if he was being watched, despite all the Sky Barons who were probably staring at him as well.

''Hullo!'' Chester had seemingly appeared right next to him, grinning.

''Woah!'' Wash Bucker exclaimed, jumping back in surprise. ''Heh...heh, hi...''

Chester licked his fangs. ''Wash Buckler, pleased to meet your acquaintance.'' He said cheerily, almost too cheerily.

* * *

''Curses!''

The Cardmaster snarled, pulling on his ears. He snapped his jaws, quite loudly. Once again, The Cardmaster was failing. But, surprisingly, not because of the Skylanders. ''Where is the book?!'' he barked. He'd been trudging around the Esper, grumbling madly to himself. He stalked the halls like a deranged wildcat, causing quite a ruckus. He was searching for hours, hours, with no sign of his book. That book was very, very valuable. Poochie had her diary, and The Cardmaster had his spellbook. He needed that book! Finally, for the first time in months, his powers had returned. What was he with only one simple spell? All he was good at so far was the Amputation Spell. Yes, the Spellbook had been given to him by Master Eon, the enemy. Nonetheless, all of those spells were quite helpful. Sometimes, he did indeed feel like ripping it apart, burning it in a fire, and marking his territory on its ashes, but without the book, he was nothing.

''Cards...?''

The Cardmaster swiveled his head, finding none other than Poochie. The Seapoodle was stroking a Snapper. The poor thing was powered in pink, bedazzled, and was trying its best to wriggle from Poochie's firm grasp. A sparkly collar was choking it, and so was Poochie's grip. She was cuddling it, putting it closer to her. Unlike her usual happiness, she looked groggy, her eyes almost closed up.

''What're you doing?! That's a Snapper!'' The Cardmaster shrieked, his fur pointing up in alarm.

Poochie blinked, as if she was stuck in a haze. ''T-this is Princess Sugar Dazzling, but I just call her Dazzling. She's my new friend.''

The Cardmaster could only stare, utterly confused. Poochie was completely insane, and just all-around confusing. The Cardmaster was starting to believe that she was dropped on her head when she was a baby. The Cardmaster didn't know a lot of the Treacherous Trio's orgins; he had just made a deal with them. They had been young explorers, apparently pickpocketing when they were just around twelve months in Seadog years, and twelve year olds. Seadogs were able to be grow up on their own by that time, and the Trio was no exception. They weren't orphans or anything like that, since their mother had been a friend of The Cardmaster for a long time. She was kind of a love interest.

The Cardmaster shook his head, grimacing. She wasn't anymore though, definitely not.

''Dazzling, wave to Cards, bébé.'' Poochie flopped Dazzling's head up and down towards The Cardmaster. Dazzling had only spat out glowing, green acid, it burning through the floorboards. Dazzling stopped thrashing, breathing heavily. ''Aw, she's just a little moody...Don't mind her Cardy.''

_Moody because you're aggravating her_, The Cardmaster thought. He winced, curling his lip with his usual scowl. ''Why are you here?''

''This is the Esper; I'm always here.'' Poochie laughed. ''Silly, silly Cards.''

The Cardmaster sighed irritably, ''What are you doing _here_?'' Poochie tilted her head, uttering a soft, baffled whimper.

''Nevermind.'' The Cardmaster rolled his eyes. ''Have you seen the Spellbook?''

''You mean, the Colorbook? Our Colorbook?''

''Yes, yes, the...the _Colorbook_.''

''Nope!'' Poochie yapped. ''I was upstairs, like you asked, sleeping...Well, it was my beauty sleep. And I was dreaming about-''

''The Skylanders?''

''How did you know? Oh, that's right, you're psychic!''

''No, you just happen to be extremely predictable.''

''Oh, wait, no. It wasn't all about the Skylanders. It was about that place. Ummm, what did Mouffy call it again? Cloudsomething...''

''Cloudbreak?''

''Yes!''

The Cardmaster mumbled beneath his breath. Poochie had been talking about it ever since the Esper was invaded by those Skylunatics. The Cardmaster already knew she'd befriended one of them, but he didn't give any severe punishments. But he did take away her treats, since she had hidden her diary, much to his dismay. Poochie had even given a nickname to this_ new friend_: Mouffy. The Cardmaster didn't know a lot of French, but he knew that it was short for moufette. Which meant...Skunk. Apparently, she'd liked...that revolting creature. Yes, all the Skylanders were disgusting creatures, but this one was a skunk. A skunk!

''Well, I was thinking about it for a while, about...Cloudbrock, and...''

''You want to go there, correct?''

Poochie nodded, unwillingly making Dazzling bob her head up and down as well with a paw. ''Can we? Can we? Can we?''

The Cardmaster gave her a cold, stern stare. He bared his teeth, growling a little. Cloudbreak? Cloudbreak! That would push them off schedule! They were supposed to pillage villages the closest next to them, not the ones that couldn't be reached quickly! It did seem like a nice offer, you know, to ruin the Skylanders's lives by taking villages one by one within the blink of an eye, knowing that they couldn't stop such a powerful Seadog. But, he was trying to take it slow. Let one place suffer, and then move onto the next one when it was time.

Poochie instantly whimpered, ''Why not? Whhyyyy?''

''Because I'm your captain, and I get to make the decisions.''

Poochie wouldn't go down so easily, though. She sniffled, her tail drooping low. And then, then her eyes widened. The Cardmaster promptly veered away, but Poochie would not be defeated. The Cardmaster gingerly shifted his head a little, but that was only for the worst. Poochie was right in front of him, staring deep into his soul. She wasn't even blinking! Big pools of baby blue became brimmed with tears, her eyes shining. The Cardmaster couldn't look away; it had been too late. He drew his ears back, a little sliver of guilt appearing in his heart. ''Fff...ff..f-fine.''

Poochie immediately stepped back, grinning. She fistpumped the air, making Dazzling nearly slip out of her grasp. ''Yesssss!''

The Cardmaster shook his head, ashamed of himself. What had he just done?


	9. All That Glimmers

_You betcha, Poochie's amazin'! _

_ Ding-ding-ding, we've got a winner! _

* * *

The Cardmaster sniffed. A burning sensation prodded at his nose; the scent of smoke swirling around his nostrils. Crackling had made his ears perk up in alarm. Fire. ''No...'' The Cardmaster frowned, flattening his ears back like a lost puppy. All of his memories were coming back to him, but in a dreaded, horrible way. This was a nightmare. He was surrounded by flames. The fire's light had reflected into his eyes, almost blinding. He stood in pure fear as the fire started to inch closer to him, burning the floorboard beneath him. Even though he knew this wasn't actually happening, it had felt so real. Too real. With a determined growl, he hurriedly ran through the fire. He remembered that he had indeed been fireproof back then, thanks to his magic abilities, so it didn't too much but scorch his fur...But even that proved a little painful. And even though he was fire resistant, his cape certainly wasn't, and it began to be eaten by flames. Hastily, he patted it out the best he could. Though still torched, he decided to bolt onwards. His throat started to itch; he hadn't even realized that he was whimpering. Mother was the only thing on his mind. He halted, staring at the multiple shifting shadows among him. Skylanders. He had wanted to run at that point, run away as far as possible. The Skylanders were virtually blackness, their silhouettes the only familiar thing about them.

''You...you bastards!'' The Cardmaster shrieked, his voice cracking with several whines. The Skylanders had seemed to smile, big, smug, wide grins were painted white upon their black faces. But they hadn't responded. But they did snicker. And laugh. And chortle. And cackle. It was awful, like sharp claws shredding across a blackboard. The Cardmaster cringed at the terrible noises. He wanted to rip his own ears off, their mirth was just too much, it drilling into his head. The shadows got closer, and as they got closer, more had appeared. They were all diverse, yet still retaining that same, stupid face. There were huge shadows, really, really big shadows. They had earthshattering laughs. Then, there were medium-sized Skylanders, not too little, not too big, but they were tall. There had been about sixteen of them, and The Cardmaster had already recognized them. And then, there were ones he hadn't recognized, like a whole other group of Skylanders. There were at least over hundreds of them, not that The Cardmaster was actually counting them, though. How many Skylanders were there?! He was too terrified to even say anything else. No matter how different, they were all doing the same thing: mocking. The amount of them made him feel like an useless insect. He didn't have anything else to do but back up in submission. Their cold paws, claws, hands, and stubby appendages had pushed him back into the center that they had started to close up on. It was just like the fire all over again. The Cardmaster lay on the floor, helpless. The Seadog placed his paws onto his head, curling up into a ball.

''Cardma_ssss_ter...''

The Cardmaster flinched. That wasn't a Skylander's voice. It was still familiar though.

But before he could see what was hissing, he awoke.

Candy stood at the edge of his bed, grinning at him. She briefly gave him a lick on the ear, much to The Cardmaster's dismay. He groaned and wrinkled his snout, ''What did I tell you about sneaking up on me like that? And what have I told you about going into the Captain's Room? And why are you even here?!''

''Because...'' Candy giggled, putting a paw onto The Cardmaster's head playfully. ''You were whimpering in your sleep! Like, really, really loudly! Super-duper loud! Like this!'' She whimpered for demonstration, blubbering to herself, and actually shedding a few tears. Candy promptly snapped out of it, barking a laugh. ''But you were a tad bit louder. Have another scary-wary nightmare, fluffy? I bet you did! Was it about those meanie Skylanders again? I'll scare them away for you.'' The Cardmaster slid back under his covers, drawing his ears back in annoyance.

Candy started to bark, ''Puny Skylanders! I'll protect you, Cards!'' It was nice to know that she'd run into the fray in attempt of protecting him, but she still wasn't very good at fighting. A little, itty-bitty splinter would have her cowered. ''I'll scare those barbarians! I'll scare 'em real good!'' Candy had treated The Cardmaster like an older sibling, or even sometimes, a fatherly figure. The Cardmaster didn't like either of those thoughts at all. Candy was indeed the most irritating out of the trio. She was the youngest, smallest, and definitely the dimmest. She was also hyper, often bouncing off the walls in the wrong place and at the wrong time. Unlike the others, she was very precise about grooming, and she was the most glamorous of the team. For this so-called Cloudbreak Vacation, she had picked out the shiniest necklaces she had and they were all on her neck. They shimmered, all of them various colors, the brightest being the sapphire one. The accessories were handcrafted, the multiple gifts from Patches. Patches had been trying to impress the Seapoodles. His love for them was obvious throughout the Esper. Yes, he was cruel at times, but that was only because The Cardmaster would skin him alive if he continued to get off-task. His flirtatious moves hadn't seemed to be working though.

''Cards!'' the Seapoodle pulled the covers off of The Cardmaster.

''What?'' The Cardmaster softly growled, pushing his face into a pillow.

''Cloudbreak!''

The Cardmaster grabbed his covers again with a grumble. _Cloudbreak_, he thought,_ yaaay_. He was already off to a bad start. It had still been early, but The Cardmaster acted more like a nocturnal beast than a Seadog. He liked sleeping and was probably the most laziest onboard.

''C'mooonnn! Poochie's tail is going to fall off if she keeps wagging it. She's really, really, really, really-''

''I get it, Candy. Poochie is excited.'' The Cardmaster raised his head a little. ''Just five more minutes...'' he closed his eyes.

''Aucun!'' Candy pulled him off of the bed. The captain yelped, landing on his back, sprawled out. Did that really just happen? At least there was no other crew member was there to witness his tumble. But then again, Candy was quite the gossiper. ''It's time to go to Cloudbreak!''

''I know...'' The Cardmaster grumbled.

* * *

''May I interest you in some gems, Skylanders? These are free, you know.''

Chester had been trying to _interest _them with shiny trinkets for a while now. Hey, it was worth a shot, right? These guys were Skylanders, surely they'd care to take up at least one offer. And then maybe the Skylanders would be trampled by desperate Sky Barons. Chester mentally snickered, a smile curving upon his face at the thought. Yes, that would be hilarious. Chester was excellent at persuasion. His trickery knew no bounds. Maybe that was because he wasn't raised like the other foxes; he'd been around criminals all his childhood. With little, weird grin of his, he was certain that anyone could fall under his spell. Chester was definitely quite the charmer. It might have seemed as if he was throwing gold out like a helpful, thoughtful fox, but all that gold would lead the Sky Barons straight to their doom! _Doom_, Chester thought,_ heheh_. That word was branded into his mind, he used to work for Kaos after all. Charismatic and yet crude, Chester was truly something.

''No...'' The Skylanders replied, monotone.

''Pearl necklace?''

''No...''

''Diamond bracelets? They're _handcrafted_!'' Chester asked, singsongy.

''No...''

Chester flattened his ears. Hm, these Skylanders were more intelligent than he had thought. With a exasperated sigh, he tossed all of the treasure in his grasp behind him, the Sky Barons scrambling to catch them. ''Please, Skylanders, you're my customers. A-are you sure you don't want any of my fine riches? I'm sure there's something you'll like.''

''We're not here to-'' Jet-Vac began.

''Ah, yes. You've got supplies to deliver. Unfortunately, I'm afraid I've already got that covered. Right, my little birdies?!'' Chester turned to the Sky Barons. They had promptly cheered with unanimous _yaaays_ and woops, before plucking the leftover treasure of the ground, hastily. ''See? Skylanders aren't the only ones who are heroically amazing. Not them, I am referring to myself, if you had not noticed. But they're great as well.''

Chester glanced at the Skylanders, who had been giving him strange looks. It was as if they didn't trust him. Chester continued to beam like an innocent child, his tail swishing to and fro. The big cat, Trap Shadow, narrowed his eyes at him. He bared his teeth ferociously. Even though he was a fuzzy, purple kitty, Chester had felt a surge of fear prickle his fur. Those jaws would probably crush his bones, not to mention the scary traps that dangled from his paws. Chester shivered, but managed to keep his posture. Now that he thought about it, all of the Skylanders looked frightening, even the chicken! The worst part about it was that he couldn't read their expressions. Were they planning to end him right there? Were they plotting to capture him? What if they were going to torture him with their sharp, pointy weapons?! Chester decided not to dwell on it for too long, nervously snickering through his fangs. The Skylanders, quite simultaneously, got into a group huddle, much to Chester's fright. That couldn't be good, right?

_Nice going_, the fox chided himself inside his own mind,_ you jinxed it_! That was Crook, his split personality. Yes, they were both evil, but Crook was the brains behind all of it, Chester only followed his orders.

_How? I didn't do anything!_

_You ruined everything! You always ruin everything!_

_Hey, I'm in charge of Windham, remember? I know what I'm doing...I think. _He tightened up, his tail sweeping the floor in a slow motion. He started to strain his ears, but all he could hear was whispers and murmurs. The Cardmaster was definitely going to murder him now. That is, if the Skylanders don't beat the Seadog to it. Maybe it was a good time to run? Yeah, he could forget all about this stupid Windham place, and live in Woodburrow. That was always a nice place!

_Augh, what are they blabbering about?! _

_Be quiet, Crook. I'm trying to listen._

_Grrr..._

Then, the Skylanders broke away, facing Chester. He continued to clench his teeth, ''Hehehe...''

''Okay, Chester, we'll just drop these off, and be on our way.'' the robot, Magna Charge, spoke up. That had sounded oddly mechanic. He was indeed an Ultron, but that was too much.

But Chester didn't think about it for long, relieved that they would be leaving. ''Sounds like a plan, Skylander!''

The Skylander dropped the weird net thing, and then they left, somewhere, Chester hadn't particularly been paying attention. The net had all of his attention. It was filled with packages, and crates, and boxes, making Chester's eyes widen.

_Go to it..._

_W-what if it's-_

_A set-up? Don't make me laugh. Skylanders aren't bad guys, fool._

Chester couldn't contain himself, and he padded over to the Grappler. He tilted his head. The net was filled with boxes, crates, and packages, a lot of them. What was in them? He reached out his paws, but unfortunately, a tap on the shoulder had stopped him. Chester didn't dare to look back, until a menacing, deep growl made his ears flatten. Chester gradually swiveled his head, ''Nice kitty...''

''This kitty's got claws.'' Trap Shadow snarled. ''Big, pointy, claws...'' His voice was dark and deep, making the fox's legs tremble. Trap Shadow was even more terrifying up close.

''Oh dear...'' Chester gulped.

''Don't be scared, bandit. I can smell your fear...''

''Wait, that's _his_ fear?'' The Swampskunk had appeared, making Chester flinch. Two Skylanders? This was awful!

''Yes...'' Trap Shadow gritted his teeth.

''Oh, well, nevermind. The crowd's not here right?''

_What're doing? You have time to run!_

_I can't! I'm already frozen!_

_Uuughh...You useless wuss._

_Hey! That's not very-Ow ow ow!_

Trap Shadow had him by his scruff with his big, pointy claws. Chester was small and fragile, so it was easy for the feline to pick him up. Trap Shadow glared, ''You're not going anywhere, fox.''

He definitely wasn't going anywhere.

''Chester!'' a volley of surprised squawks split the air. Yes! The Sky Barons were going to save him! Trap Shadow raised a brow at all the enraged birds; they started to surround him.

''What're doing to him?!''

''Put him down!''

''Stop that!''

''No!''

Trap Shadow grimaced, ''Uhh...''

''You're not going to hurt him, are you? Don't hurt him!'' Bella exclaimed. Chester smiled; a brilliant idea had popped into his head. These birds were his only ticket out of here. Sky Barons were so dumb!

''Ohh...owww...Your claws, they're digging into my flesh! Owwww! I'm bleeding! It's awful! He's trying to kill me!'' Chester whined, receiving some gasps from the Sky Barons.

''It's not what it looks like. We're, um, just playing a game! Right, Stink Bomb?'' Trap Shadow hastily barged in. Much to his dismay, Stink Bomb had already disappeared. ''Great...'' And with that, Trap Shadow vanished, dragging Chester along with him, bolting.

Chester yelped; Trap Shadow's claws were indeed trying to dig into his flesh. But before he could say anything, a missile had been fired. It bulleted into them with an explosion. Trap Shadow tumbled, his grasp slipping, sending Chester reeling. The fox hadn't landed far away, paralyzed by the blast...or maybe out of fear.

''Boom Jet! What's wrong with you?!'' Trap Shadow snapped. He staggered up, looking as if he wanted brutally murder someone, his sleek fur scorched and rumpled.

Boom Jet and Blast Zone were hovering over the roof of a tainted house. Boom Jet smiled, ''Whoops.''

''You made me lose my kill!''

My kill? Chester was a kill?

''Sorry, I tried to stop him.'' Blast Zone responded. ''Well, uh, is he unconscious?'' he looked down at Chester, who had stiffened.

''Hey guy, are you dead?!'' Boom Jet shouted. Chester didn't respond, but he did loll his tongue out. Maybe if he pretended he was dead, the Skylanders would leave him alone.

Trap Shadow raised his snout and sniffed, ''He's not dead.'' The sabertooth stalked over to the fox, plucking the limp fox up. ''See?''

''I dunno, he looks a little...deceased. What d'you think, Blast?'' Boom Jet rubbed his chin.

''A tad bit. Just a teensy bit...''

Were they falling for it? Chester crossed his fingers. He propped his ears up, trying to listen some more. Trap Shadow shook him wildly, but Chester certainly wouldn't budge. But that was until Trap Shadow roared directly into his alert ears. Chester's eyes instantly opened and he dropped his act. His heart thumped against his chest. He panted, trying to catch his breath, but still absolutely terrified.

Trap Shadow smirked, ''He's fine.''

''Good!'' Boom Jet grinned.

''Now,'' Trap Shadow rumbled, ''what've you been up do?'' Chester clamped his teeth down again with the shake of his head. He wasn't going to say anything! This cat was going to kill him!

''Speak!'' Trap Shadow parted his jaws, deliberately showing his toothy weapons.

''O-okay! Okay! I work for The Cardmaster, and I'm here to destroy Windham, I-'' Chester blurted out. Trap Shadow released his grip. Chester fell down with a pitiful yip.

''Thanks for working with us.''

Chester wheezed, ''You're welcome...''

* * *

''It's too muddy here!''

The Cardmaster drew his ears back in irritation at a pitiful, whimpering Candy. She had been complaining when even they first set foot onto the Skyland. The Cardmaster had to clench his teeth to retain himself from strangling the Seapoodle. But, it was indeed muddy; The Cardmaster had felt as if he was treading in quicksand, his hindpaws sinking into the ground. They were at their _pit stop_, on their way to meet their_ friend_. That was all The Cardmaster had told the trio anyway. That and the surprise he stated to be having. Therefore, the Seapoodles wore red, animalistic masks and their cloaks, still unsure of what this 'surprise' was. The Cardmaster wasn't quite yet ready for the long travel to Cloudbreak. The Spellbook needed a replacement, and he knew just the right place to get one. Then again, he swore that he would rip the insides out of whoever had stole it. Their rest stop was rather gloomy, despite the fact that the sun was still shining. The lanky trees had shook at the lonesome cry of wind, the leaves spiraling down. Most of the trees didn't even have leaves. The dead ones just stood around, as if they were alive, waiting to snatch unsuspecting visitors up. The Cardmaster flicked his ears at noises that emitted from the Skyland. An orchestra of frogs had been heard in the distance, the pitter-patter of little rodents were heard sliding on the fallen leaves, and the hisses of snakes had been popping up now and then. The insects were quite a nuisance, buzzing and fluttering around the Seadogs. But it wasn't anything they weren't used to; irritating flies often made their way onto the Esper.

The Cardmaster twitched his ears. Then, there was a low mewling noise, almost descending into eerie yowls. The bushes rustled, making The Cardmaster tense up. Something was out there. He hadn't liked it one bit; it had reminded him of the horrors of his nightmare. For a moment, he had actually started to believe that there were Skylanders in the bushes. The things continued to shift and move, as if they were trying to be cautious. Realizing that they blown their cover, they started to mew to each other. After a few more long pauses, out of the shadows, sphinxes crawled. Unlike regular, vibrant sphinxes, these were melanistic. Melanistic sphinxes were quite rare. According to all the scrolls The Cardmaster had read, they were often considered bad luck. They were all curious, inching their way towards The Cardmaster. There had been no hostility in their glowing eyes. But, The Cardmaster did snarl a bit. He was never too fond of cats, and these particular types weren't appreciated. Those sphinxes had reminded him nothing more of Scratch, another one of those dreadful Skylanders. Luckily, these cats weren't _cowardly_ like her, and so they didn't wear any stupid masks. The winged cats all chattered amongst themselves, cocking their heads at the group. The Cardmaster had forgotten that they were capable of speech; that had made the experience only more worse.

''Where did you come from?''

''Why are you here?''

''Who are you?''

It was as if they only thing these weird cats could say were questions. Annoying, various questions that The Cardmaster didn't want to answer, that is. The Trio appeared to be having fun though, scooping the kittens up in their paws, cuddling them. The Cardmaster rolled his eyes, scoffing. A few had tried to investigate him for food, pawing at his legs. But he had shooed them off, grumpy as always.

''Travelers?'' A sinewy, male sphinx had lumbered forward, flicking his tail. His coat was a lot shinier than the others, it looking as if it had been glimmering in the moonlight. He plopped himself down, sprawling his front legs to stretch. He looked sophisticated and rather pleased with himself. His voice was like silk, as if he hadn't even been worried that there were pirates on their territory. ''What are you here for? And why have you brought so many clanmates?''

This one seemed quite reasonable to talk to, unlike the rest of the felines. The male licked his paw, brushing it through the fur on his face evenly. ''We don't get many visitors around here. This is all quite...thrilling. But, we will not allow you to steal our Master's belongings, no matter how nice it is to see new faces.''

''We're not here to pillage, hybrid. I've come only to visit a friend.'' The Cardmaster responded.

The refined cat rolled over onto his back, lazily. ''How can I trust you? You may just be lying through your teeth. Persuade me, Seadog.'' With a yawn, he rolled back onto his belly, rubbing his fur across the grass.

_Or I could just ignore you instead_, The Cardmaster scowled, clenching his fists. Persuade him? He didn't have to persuade an overgrown, flying furball. This sphinx didn't know who he was talking to. ''I have catnip.''

And with that response, the other sphinxes meowed up a storm. They were yowling excitedly, bounding towards the Seadog. The male smiled, ''Consider us all...Persuaded. I am Shadeskin, leader of this clan. You are?''

Shadeskin? What kind of foolish name was that? Sphinxes, The Cardmaster would never understand them. ''I am The Cardmaster. These are my..._friends._ We're here only to talk to Ail.''

Shadeskin wriggled his ears, intently. ''As in, Master Ail? Our benevolent master?'' He sat upright, leaning back onto his haunches like some sort of alert rodent.

''Correct.''

''...For... some reason that name sound's familiar.'' Candy stopped stroking the tiny kitten close to her.

''Yeah, like someone I'm supposed to know.'' Cookie added. The Cardmaster raised a brow. The Trio and Ail had been separated for _way_ too long. But, frankly, it wasn't surprising that they hadn't even known their own-

''Any friend of the Master is a friend of ours.'' Shadeskin placed his paws back onto the ground, and dipped his head in a bow.

''Friends!'' The others followed his lead, though a little more clumsier. The Cardmaster snorted, but reluctantly dipped as well.

''Follow us, we shall show you the way.'' Shadeskin furled his wings. He turned to one of the sphinxes, ''Darkstep, just to be safe, bring up the rear. Our new friends will need some protect-''

''How do_ I_ know you're not lying?'' The Cardmaster questioned.

Shadeskin trotted towards The Cardmaster, graceful with every step. He sat and curled his feathery tail around his forepaws. ''I would never lie to a friend; none of us would.'' Shadeskin replied, before slinking back into the bushes, a clutter of his clanmates following him. The kittens leapt from the Trio's arms, mewling when they caught up to their mothers. Darkstep, a female sphinx, followed her orders. The Cardmaster hadn't liked Shadeskin's idea. For all he knew, this Darkstep character, could be a potential enemy, waiting to strike them. In fact, he thought that all of the sphinxes could be enemies. Unlike the others, Darkstep wore a mask, most to The Cardmaster's dismay. It was a dark tint of silver, and deep scratches had been etched into it. But besides that, she was just like all of the other sphinxes.

''Keep up with the group, travelers. Our master is not too far away. Quickly, quickly.'' Darkstep padded behind them, her tail waving in the air. The Cardmaster didn't understand why he had to listen to her rules, but he obeyed anyway, the Seapoodles as well. ''I am curious, travelers. You say you are here for a friend, and yet I've never heard Ail speak of you.''

''Ail was never keen on the idea of me stealing her things; she sent me away years ago.''

''Oooh, I see. You must be the one she calls backstabber. And pigheaded, and arrogant, and dastardly filth.''

The Cardmaster was shaken by the words at first. Ail never really liked him to begin with, even though The Cardmaster had been fond of her. He did have a habit for stealing her things, but that was only because her a lot of her collectibles were magic. Besides, The Cardmaster only thought that Ail was throwing her anger at him from frustration. Like himself, she too had been tortured by Skylanders, Hex especially. She was once a cheery, picturesque Seapoodle that went from town to town, spreading her delightful music. Men had feel in love with her, The Cardmaster included, and women wanted to be her. Ail's voice was amazing...And really, really dreamy. But she still was indeed a witch, and constantly brewed potions to span discord and devastation throughout Skylands. She didn't have a grudge, she didn't want revenge. Being evil was simply fun, that was a fact. She lured civilians into her cottage, intoxicating them, gagging them, poisoning them, or just knocking them out with whatever nearest to her. Once passed out, she would experiment, and experiment, and experiment. She never killed anyone, well, not on purpose anyway. She took their blood, teeth, and fur if they had any.

Ail thought of herself as a scientist. She made her own creations, and deliberately unleashed them out into the world. Whenever done with her test subjects, she would just cast a memory loss spell onto them, and threw them outside. Some eventually made their way back, while others had just disappeared without a trace. She had always liked nature, and collected specimens. Sometimes, she plucked various dead animals from the forests, and brought them back into her home. Taxidermy was just one of her many skills. But it wasn't normal taxidermy. She liked to mix-and-match the attributes of one animal, and attach them to another. Not surprisingly, she took a liking to retaining strange in containers, keeping them alive. Even then, she did dissect them when the time was right, and like always, kept their attributes for a later date. It was Ail who had introduced The Cardmaster to Snappers, since she had been breeding them as if they were just normal animals.

But then again, Ail's devastation came with a price.

Hex had ruined her entire life. She was given direct orders from Spyro: defeat Ail. But instead of just defeating her, Hex appeared to have other plans. She had virtually invaded Ail's cottage, taking her by complete surprise. That wasn't even fair! Ail, trying her best to fight, had actually fell back into one of her shelves, which contained a lot of vials and just happened to have a group of feral ravens stuffed together into a cage. Hex, thinking that she was finished for, had left the scene. Eventually, all of the collectibles had tumbled onto Ail, even the living creatures, and she had apparently morphed into a deformed, scraggly mess of black feathers and white fluff. Or just a really creepy, old, anthropomorphic raven. But one thing was for sure, Ail was definitely not a love interest anymore.

''Flattering.'' The Cardmaster smirked. That's what good a villain wanted to here, and The Cardmaster was no exception.

''I have never heard anyone take that as a compliment. You're a very strange Seadog. I wish to find more about you. You'd make a fine specimen for Master Ail.''

Eventually, after going past thick grasses and squelching earth, they made it to their destination. Shadeskin and his faction was already there. Some of the more lively sphinxes bounded around, the littlest ones wrestling with each other, while the majority of them were napping. A few had opened their eyes in interest at the arrival of their new friends, but quickly closed them, tiredly. Shadeskin had actually gotten up, though, beckoning his tail towards the gloomy, sketchy cabin in the midst of the clearing. Flat stones had led towards it. The dark sphinxes gave it an even more unsettling feeling, some of the awake cats falling behind to stare, their eyes locked onto the group. They were watching their every move. The Cardmaster gradually went onwards, Cookie and Poochie hesitant, while Candy hopped on the stones as if it was a silly game.

The Cardmaster and the Seapoodles now stood before the door. The captain reluctantly knocked, veering away just in case. The door hadn't opened like how he had expected it would. There wasn't any responses at all.

''Maybe...maybe she's not home.'' Cookie shrugged. The Cardmaster, with a scowl, kicked the door, it surprisingly slinging open.

''Oooh, ninjutsu!'' Poochie clapped her paws together.

''That wasn't ninjutsu.'' The Cardmaster groused, heading into the entrance. ''I just kicked a door.''

Cookie butted in, ''Ninja attack with surprise, they are masters of concealment. We weren't very stealthy, so, I wouldn't consider that ninjutsu. That could've been any type of martial arts. It looked more like Kung Fu...or karate...or Taekwondo.'' The Cardmaster bared his teeth. Cookie was starting to get so full of herself. She was the smartest out of the trio, and The Cardmaster hadn't been fond of that. She would always try to correct him whenever he was discussing plans, and her sisters would follow her lead, but even they had no idea about what she was saying.

Cobwebs dangled down from the ceiling, some getting clung to The Cardmaster's fur. He grumbled, shaking himself off in agitation. Ail was never very tidy, so it hadn't come off as a surprise to him. It was rather frigid here; a draft had been billowing through. With a sigh, he plodded. The bookcases had been organized in a 'U' formation. A cauldron bubbled in the center. Papers were all over the floor, crunching beneath his feet. He started to observe the shelves; they had sported various items. A canister wobbled at the wind, a potent, metallic stench coming from it. He had already knew what it was from the scent, but the crimson fingerprints on its surface had sealed the deal. A transparent cylinder of diverse teeth had been placed next to it, yellow, white, some still even red. Bleached skulls spread on the shelf; he'd recognized some of them as Mabu. But, one of the more odd collectibles was a titchy toad's head stitched to a bird's body. Its wings had been snapped off, so a Sugarbat's wings had taken their places. A lizard's tail had been pasted onto where its tailfeathers were supposed to be. Dragonet spikes were placed across its back, little horns on the sides of its head as well. The toad's mouth was forced open, Chompy teeth filling in its gums. Ail had always been into taxidermy, but The Cardmaster hadn't known it had reached to such a strange level. He began to get wary of it. It looked as if it could somehow come back to life, hiss at him, and maul him.

The Cardmaster didn't want to stare at it hideous appearance any longer. Taking his eyes off of the creature, he looked towards something that sent shivers down his spine. A jar of liquid had contained a fleshy, Seadog fetus. It was dead, of course, but it still gave him an uneasy feeling. His hackles prickled. His paws had been drenched in blood before and yet this was the one thing that had made him cringe. How'd Ail even get that?!

That was enough sightseeing for him.

A hint of queasiness still hadn't left him, but it wasn't because of the undeveloped Seapup. It was because someone was watching him. He turned his head ever so slightly and stared right in the direction of their objective. Her feathers were bristled, matted and sent into wild directions. A few specks of white was smudged onto them, giving her the look of a reversed Dalmatian with little to none spots. Ail's beak was chipped, some incisions buried in it, her tongue lolling from it. Bulging, inflamed, pink tissue resided around her eyes. Unsightly scabs rested beneath them. Her eyes themselves were orange with scarlet irises, looking rather bloodshot and ill. A purple and black robe covered the rest of her body, it laced up with frail strings in the front. All of that aside, The Cardmaster was only staring at the deadly, thick cleaver in her abnormal, blistered talons. She raised it up to The Cardmaster's throat. Ail parted her beak with a guttural, low rasp.

''Ail, such a pleasure to see you again. _Beautiful_ as always.'' The Cardmaster mustered a smile. Ail hadn't been fazed. The cleaver's side was now touching his throat. One wrong word, and he'd be done for. A slice to the throat wasn't pretty; he knew that from wielding the weapon against his own enemies. He decided to keep his mouth shut. From past experiences, The Cardmaster learned that Ail was extremely difficult to talk to.

''Cardmaster...'' Ail seethed icily. Her tongue flapped, it struggling to lick the rim of her beak. It sounded stupid and pathetic, but Ail actually made it look threatening. She cooed, quite happily, much to The Cardmaster's surprise. But she still kept the cleaver close, putting a little more pressure in it. She smirked, ''What's wrong? Cat got your tongue? Oh, did they really? I'll have to ask them for it later!'' Her laugh was crooked, like the sound of insanity itself. Finally, she took the cleaver away. Ail gazed at the furs on the blade. ''Oooo, I could make a sibling for you! Or your own child? Doesn't matter! It'd be a clone anyway!'' she cackled again.

Abruptly, she stopped.

''Speaking of which, where are my children? You better not have them as prisoners! My babies deserve better than that! Those pups aren't your slaves!'' the old witch continued to rant, clacking her beak at The Cardmaster and hissing. The Cardmaster beckoned to the Seapoodles behind them. They had been too busy admiring the shelves, cocking their heads. The Cardmaster cleared his throat, causing them to snap their attention towards him.

''Masks?'' Poochie whispered.

''Masks.'' The Cardmaster nodded.

They did as followed. Ail shrieked in delight and spread her arms out, flinging the cleaver into a bookcase, ''My precious, little darlings! Mommy's here!'' The Trio whined joyously, scampering over to her. They clutched on tight, hugging her, their tails waggling rapidly. The Cardmaster wrinkled his snout. Ail was a happy mother of three. Before her incident, she was married to a wealthy, pirate captain. Unfortunately, her husband and his entire crew had been devoured by a huge whale, which wasn't very uncommon for the fate of most pirates. To The Cardmaster, it was just another reason to be cautious towards Thumpback, another vile Skylander.

''Ahem...'' The Cardmaster decided to interrupt. The family swiveled their heads, turning to the Seadog.

Ail grumbled, ''Oh right...'' She gently shouldered through, scowling at The Cardmaster. As she moved, her bones creaked, quite loudly. ''Thanks.''

''You're very welcome. But I didn't come here to visit a fancy reunion.''

Ail perked up, squawking softly. ''You've come to buy something?''

''Cards wants a new Spellbook, he thinks you can help 'em!'' Poochie yapped.

''Hmmm, is that so?'' Ail leered. She narrowed her eyes, making The Cardmaster feel a little disturbed. ''You're that desperate?''

''I never said anything about...buying. I would never waste good treasure on your old things.'' The Cardmaster said. Ail clacked her beak at the response, nipping the air. The Cardmaster's fur stood on end. What'd he just say?

Ail heaved a sigh. ''Well, I suppose I do owe you. You did bring my _wittle_ lovelies back. But you're still an enemy, remember that.''

''I never forget.''

Ail gave him one last glare before hoppling over to a bookcase, mumbling to herself.

''That's a pretty book! It's really, really, really shiny...'' Poochie pointed out.

''Hm? Oh, why yes, it is shiny, sweetheart.'' Ail remarked. She grabbed the 'shiny' book, turning around. Ail blew onto it, coughing at the slight puffs of dust. She looked up at The Cardmaster, simpering. ''You're going to like this one.'' She handed it to him, surprisingly graciously. The Cardmaster tilted his head. The book was worn out, like his old Spellbook, but its cover was embellished. Patterns were across it, giving it a more fancy look. Finally, The Cardmaster's eyes set onto the glowing, maroon orb sunk into the center of it. It was glimmering, like a stunning crystal, but a slit pupil had clearly been seen in it. It seemingly stared into The Cardmaster's soul, making his muscles tighten up. But he was in awe at the same time.

''So?'' Ail asked with a snicker.

''I'll take it, Ail.''

* * *

_Ooo, guesss whosssse sssscary-wary voice that belongsss to!_


	10. Preparations

Glad it was a little creepy, 'twas what I was aiming at. *insert shocked gasp* Well I never! Heheh, I haven't even read 'These Flightless Wings' yet. Not yet...soon...But I can say that 'The Dragon Chronicles' is great! :P

Yay for scary nightmares! Well, get ready, there's plenty of dream and nightmare sequences in Trek. Yeah, I know, Candy and Cookie aren't really doing anything at the moment. In fact, they didn't even do much in original fanfic...Besides, uhm, playing dress-up and tea time with Rattle Shake, Stink Bomb, and Magna Charge. But I too am hoping I can change that sooner or later.

Oooh, Trek's in a community...

* * *

Night fell over the Esper. The vessel was still on its voyage to the Cloudbreak Islands, and The Cardmaster was making the most of it. With everyone else tucked in their dormitories, or at least he thought so, he was able to practice. His new Spellbook was even more than he had imagined. In fact, he thought it was thousand times better than Eon's old, bedraggled book. _And he called that thing a Spellbook! Hah! _The Cardmaster thought. Perhaps Ail wasn't as bad as she used to be. But, he still knew that she'd have his hide any day. That is, if The Cardmaster hadn't grown strong and powerful by then! That was exactly what he was aiming at; proving everyone wrong was high on his mental to-do list. He studied a page eagerly, and started to chant silently to himself. This had been all he was doing for the past, countless hours. It wasn't for nothing, that was certain, he knew his power was increasing...He believed his power was increasing. The only way to find out was to test it out on a living creature. He just didn't have time to. Besides, his crew couldn't decrease. After the fight with the Squidface, a bunch of Seadogs had joined The Cardmaster's crew. It still wasn't exactly an army, but he decided that it'll have to do at the time.

His ears pricked at the noise of his door opening. He promptly growled, not even glancing at his guests. ''What?! What d'you want?!''

One of the Seadogs spoke up first, ''Er, sir, this weird cat thing says that he's lookin' for ya. He wants to talk.''

''I'm a fox! You bloomin' nitwits!'' A voice shrieked, shrill with deep hatred.

''Crook.'' The Cardmaster smirked.

''He's been yapping at us, cap'n. Somethin' about robots, and big sabertooth creatures, and birdies, and golems, and-'' the second Seadog said.

''What're you waiting for? Bring the fox in.'' The Cardmaster cut in. His patience was running thin already, real quick. The two Seadogs exchanged hesitant looks, but they soon stepped out of the away. Ropes were wrapped around Crook's torso and arms, it drooping at his pants. His fur was singed, hairs sticking up rather comically with ash. Some of his fur was entirely missing, scratches running up and down his pelt. Dried blood bordered around his nostrils. Electricity visibly sparked on his fur and he quivered wildly at its shocking touch. Frost was on the bridge of his snout. His right eye was bruised badly. The fox's tail was matted, it falling flat. Not to mention, he smelt absolutely vile, so much that his clothes and some of his fluff was green.

''Skylanders?'' The Cardmaster stifled a hearty chuckle, grinning at Crook's misfortunate.

''Skylanders.'' Crook twitched.

''Hahahah! Lemme guess, lemme guess...You were scorched by Blast Zone, Night Shift gave you that blackeye, Trap Shadow clawed you up a bit, the chicken shocked ya...no...uh...Magna Charge shocked you, you were frozen by Freeze Blade, your tail was crushed by Rubble Rouser, and you were sprayed by the skunk! _Accidently_ sprayed, right? Heheh...''

Crook shuddered. ''Uggh, don't remind me. And no, at the end, I was tackled by all of them...''

''Dreadful, isn't it?''

''Worse than dreadful. I'm glad _you_ understand.'' Crook cast a scornful look at the two Seadogs who hadn't left.

The Cardmaster beckoned to them, pointing, ''Out. This is a private conversation.'' Without a word, they scattered. The Cardmaster smiled. Was he that scary? Just because he chopped a Squidface's hand off? The Cardmaster hadn't really cared what they were scared for, just as long as they were afraid, he was happy. He looked back down at the shivering fox. ''This is all fine and dandy, considering that I wasn't in your position, but...doesn't this mean you didn't fulfill your mission? That you ignored your orders? You disobeyed me?''

Crook flinched. ''Trust me, I-I damaged Windham-''

''But you did not destroy it.'' The Cardmaster spat. He flicked his paw towards the door, slamming it with nothing but magic. Crook jittered, and The Cardmaster was unsure if that was because he was terrified, or still he was still being electrified. It could've been even both. The Cardmaster furrowed his brows at Crook, who fiddling nervously with his paws.

''I tried my best, Cardmaster! It was those Skylanders! They ruined it all!''

''Yes, they do indeed ruin everything...'' The Cardmaster nodded.

''So you're...not mad?'' Crook asked.

The Cardmaster simpered, ''Who ever said I wasn't mad? I certainly didn't.'' And with that, he lifted Crook into the air. ''But, that doesn't mean I'm not going to enjoy this.''

''What?!'' Crook yelped. His voice had changed, the real him, Chester, peeking through.

The Cardmaster's eyes turned pure white, his irises and pupils vanishing completely. A purplish aura surrounded them. The Cardmaster squeezed the air with his claw, and so Chester began to choke. Particles of magic snaked up to the fox's neck, circling around it, before lunging around his throat, coiling tightly. The Cardmaster inhaled and exhaled, enjoying every second of Chester's misery. The fox's mouth started to foam. The bubbling sludge poured like a wild river. The Cardmaster tightened his grip and lifted him higher. He flicked his ears, listening to the painful, raspy shrieks that emerged from Chester. The Cardmaster curled his lip in a odd smile. He wanted to hear the snapping crackle of bones, the crunch of his victim's measly neck, and the heavy thud of his limp body. But of course, Chester had fainted before all of the fun could happen. The Cardmaster snorted, throwing Chester onto the floor, veering his head away. ''Now, I am glad.''

Chester hadn't really cared. He gasped, all of his paws placed onto the ground, and he proceeded to cough up the foam that rose in his throat. The Cardmaster's eyes shifted back to normal. There hadn't been the slightest bit of joy on his face, not even a devious, little curve of his muzzle. Chester sputtered. He couldn't form any words, his mouth numb, still uncontrollably spewing out reddish froth.

''I am your leader. I am your captain. You will obey my orders. The abomination you call a life depends on it.''

Chester panted rapidly, but managed to faintly nod.

''Obey me!''

Chester hacked, ''I...will...bey...''

''**OBEY!**''

''I will...bey..'' Chester rasped.

''Close enough. Now get out of my sight, fox. I'll assign your punishments later.''

* * *

Fire Kraken could just burst with excitement, no, explode with excitement! He'd gone around waking his teammates up with a rusty frying pan and a wooden spoon. Or least he tried to wake them up; some of them were really, really heavy sleepers. Well, a large majority of them were really, really heavy sleepers. Fire Kraken was the first one up though, and his happiness was the only alarm for him. Everyone else was still asleep, much to his dismay. He wanted to get trekking!

He was busy poking Rattle Shake, who was slumbering on a rock. He was sprawled, relaxing with his hat on his face. Unlike most Undead skylanders, he liked the light. He loved how to sun rays would hit his scaly skin. It was so comfortable. Everyone had been so busy lately. At the moment, Spyro had been stressed out about Flashwing and Whirlwind. They seemed perfectly normal, just very tired as always. He was trying to indulge every second of his sunbathing time. But now, he was constantly being interrupted.

''Boop!'' Fire Kraken prodded the snake's shoulder, still unsure if he was awake. Rattle Shake's tail writhed at his touch.

''Rise and shine!'' Fire Kraken exclaimed. Rattle Shake's tailtip promptly shook in dismay with its infamous rattle.

''Come on, Shake, it's gonna be fun! Fun, fun, fun!'' Fire Kraken responded. Rattle Shake heaved an exasperated sigh, flickering his tongue out in a soft hiss.

''Don't you_ sssss_ me!'' Fire Kraken stuck his tongue out, hissing the best he could muster. ''It's time to get trekkin'!'' the dragon span his sparkler staff, excitedly.

''It's too early.'' Rattle Shake bluntly replied.

''It's never too early to go on an adventure.'' Fire Kraken stated.

''Well, an adventurer can't go out tired...Besides, we haven't even eaten yet.''

Fire Kraken blinked at the snake's words. He did have a point. Or maybe that was just what he wanted to make the dragon believe! But before Fire Kraken could protest, Rattle Shake abruptly jolted up, his hat falling onto the grass. He slid his tongue out, letting the crisp air touch it delicately.

Fire Kraken swiveled his head, warily. ''What's wrong? Is it pirates? Or gnorcs? Or-'' he asked.

''Whiskers.''

Fire Kraken, bemused, followed his gaze. A giant, orange bird was definitely flying towards them. He landed with a squawk. ''Whiskers!'' Fire Kraken grinned, his tail swishing to and fro happily. He promptly ran over to the great bird. Whiskers dipped his head, letting the dragon nuzzle his beak. Fire Kraken laughed, ''I missed you too, big guy!''

Rattle Shake slithered up. He got his turn to stroke Whiskers as well. But then looked at the bird's back. ''You came alone? No Tessa?'' There was no rider, no fox-girl. Whiskers shook his head in response with a sharp chirp.

''That's weird.'' Rattle Shake commented.

''Is there something wrong with Tessa? What happened to her? Where is she?!'' Fire Kraken blurted out.

Whiskers shook his head.

''Oh...But still, where is she? You two are almost always together!'' Fire Kraken inquired. Whiskers parted his beak and a scroll fell from inside his mouth. Rattle Shake caught it, as if it was on instinct. Whiskers trilled, puffing his feathers out. He nodded towards the unscathed scroll in Rattle Shake's grasp.

''Open it! Open it!'' Fire Kraken smiled. Rattle Shake unraveled the scroll. Writings lay on its surface, but Fire Kraken can only simply skimmed through it. He gasped at the signature. ''Tessa!''

''Dear Skylanders, it's hard work being Chief-''

''No, you've got to read it like her.''

Rattle Shake ignored him and continued, ''It's hard work being the Chieftess of Woodburrow. Leadership, planning, giving out orders, peace treaties...But, the worse thing about being Chieftess, is all the baddies that try to target me. There's been pirate sightings all over Cloudbreak. And I know how much you Skylanders like to beat up pirates. That's where you guys step in! Your dragon friend told me that the Swappers are supposed to be taking a trek. Then this is the perfect opportunity! There's a map of the creep sightings in Cloudbreak on the back; I hope you remember your own home if you lose it though...And knowing Wash Buckler, you probably will...You're always welcome at Woodburrow, Skylanders. Good luck!''

Whiskers then gently pecked at the scroll. Rattle Shake flipped it over. ''Wow.'' There had been a lot of red circles around various villages and towns and even whole lands. Fire Kraken was indeed boggled. He knew that the Cloudbreak Islands was huge place, but frankly, he didn't know most of the places listed! Before they could ask Whiskers about anything, the giant bird flapped away, big feathers the only traces of him.

''Whiskers! Come back! I didn't even get to say goodbye!'' Fire Kraken shouted, but Whiskers was already too far away. The dragon sighed, his bouncy tail drooping. Although, in mere moments, he perked back up. ''Well, that's that. Trekkin' time!'' He threw his staff into the air and caught it in his vast maw, toothily smirking.

Meanwhile, Spyro was pacing, rather worriedly. He hadn't slept, too stressed out about the Skylanders's new mysteries, Flashwing and Whirlwind. Spyro's mind had been cluttered with questions to ask, and Voodood hadn't answered any of them. But they were both thinking the same thing. There was definitely something wrong with the two dragonesses. Spyro and Voodood thought that they might have been cursed, or but under some dangerous, dark spell. Unfortunately, some other Skylanders didn't think that way. A few of his comrades had simply believed that they were just ill or something. Spyro had to talk to someone; someone that could relate to being pressured by the Darkness. Unfortunately, Wash Buckler and Blast Zone had been trying to get ready for the trek and were attempting contact Tessa at the same time. And Stealth Elf was off doing something 'really important', most likely training with Stink Bomb before he sets off. So, Spyro was left with only one choice.

Slobber Tooth.

''What do you think's wrong with-'' Spyro began. Slobber Tooth was chasing after a vibrant butterfly. He snapped his jaws, but only got a helping of the air. Spyro watched him, blinking in disbelief. The butterfly landing squarely on Slobber Tooth's snout, making him drool intensely. He snuffled, plopping himself down, and waited for the right time to bite.

''Uh, Slobber Tooth...''

The voracious Skylander darted his eyes to Spyro, but still kept his posture. Much to his dismay, the butterfly flew off, and he chuffed. But before he could waddle after it, Spyro interrupted. ''Are you even listening to me?''

Slobber Tooth licked inside of his nostrils absentmindedly, eliciting a grimace from Spyro. ''Whut?'' the Earth Skylander slapped his tongue around his mouth for a bit.

''Nothing.'' Spyro replied. He heaved a sigh. Was Slobber Tooth even paying attention? This was serious! ''I don't know why...but..'' Spyro drawled.

''You think they're goin' dark?'' Slobber Tooth quizzically tipped his head.

''Y-y-yeah...'' Spyro couldn't believe it. ''How did you know that?''

''I dunno. Just had a hunch. I was thinkin' the same thing, anyway.'' Slobber Tooth shrugged, lapping up the long line of saliva that hung from his jaws. What a relief...Perhaps Spyro wasn't going crazy after all. Maybe. Slobber Tooth hungrily gnawed on his own leg, but didn't cause any harm to it.

''What do you think I should do?'' Spyro questioned.

Slobber Tooth noisily pulled his leg from out of his mouth. ''Use your head!''

''I don't think ramming into Whirl and Flash will help.''

''No, use your brain! You'll come up with somethin'.'' Slobber Tooth then thumped his tail onto the earth, rapidly. ''Ooh, I've got an idea right now!''

''What?! What is it?!'' Spyro perked up.

''You can talk to Cynder!''

Spyro froze at the name. ''I'm not sure if I like this idea...''

Slobber Tooth playfully headbutted Spyro. ''Oh, c'mon, it'll be great! I'll go with you! Er...Spyro?''

The purple dragon had been sent back a few steps, sprawled out in an uncomfortable position, ''Ow...'' _Well, this day is already going swell, _he thought.

* * *

Tangleroot, a Skyland in Cloudbreak of unique and dangerous wildlife. Various creatures lurked there, and although fierce and feral, they all cowered at the sight of the hunter. Where ever his territories were, the animals knew to stay away. And the hunter wasn't so far away. Jabb was doing his daily rounds in Tangleroot, prowling like a true predator. He was a cheetah, and a very clever one at that. A red bandana was squarely across his muzzle, it sinking in with his quiet breaths. He wore a leathery vest, dark pants, and a belt decked out with various daggers, knives, and hooks. Gloves covered his paws, but his sharp nails had still peeked through. The left side of his snout had full whiskers, while the other side's whiskers were twisted, some even cut.

His weapon of choice was the rapier. The pointy sword had proven itself worthy of his usage; it was perfect for jabbing, which he happened to be quite skilled at. But jabbing wasn't all that he was great at. He happened to think that he was rather multitalented. Trapping and swashbuckling at the same time was definitely his own personal skill. That was almost impossible to do...right?

Jabb used to live in a large gang of amazing hunters. According to the scrolls, most hunters lived in tribes or clans with colored bandanas to differentiate the levels of stealth. Green was certainly the highest, and red...was the lowest.

''Stupid tribe, didn't even like 'em anyway...'' Jabb mumbled. The grasses in Tangleroot were tall, very tall. Jabb had to slice through them with his daggers, hissing. It as if everyday the grass grew and grew like wild. For Jabb, everyday was an adventure. Tangleroot was filled with surprises. Jabb was now just starting to get used to it. He halted. Jabb grasped his rapier tighter, narrowing his eyes. There was game here.

Abruptly, a Slobbering Mutticus slapped him with its huge claw. Jabb reeled back and hit a tree, some leaves fluttering down onto his face at the great impact. Jabb shook his head, still dazed from the attack. He blinked a few times, focusing on the beast that started to lumber towards him. Even though this was Cloudbreak, and Mutticus were't native, they were still bred by the invading Cyclopes that often scrambled around in search of new areas to dominate. The Mutticus loomed over the cheetah, but Jabb was fast to react. He swiftly attempted to push a dagger into the beast's chest, but tough Mutticus hide had ruined its puncture. But it did get stuck, so Jabb was slowly making progress. The Mutticus rose onto its legs with a screech, stumbling back in dismay. Jabb, now dangling from only the stuck dagger, swung himself onto the Mutticus's side, hanging on. The Slobbering Mutticus shook, bucking and dashing around, rotating like wild. Jabb had nearly fallen off, but luckily, he had sunk his claws into its skin. He briefly lunged, landing perfectly on the Mutticus's back, crouching.

This was his favorite part.

He whooped heartily, grabbing onto the fleshy, fatty rolls on the beast's neck. Jabb slashed the Mutticus, and it reared up again, kicking its forelegs before speeding off. Jabb, being a cheetah, was pretty fast himself, but this was definitely a lot more fun. Wrangling creatures and rodeo were just some of his talents. Jabb grappled the nearest vine, yanking it off a tree, taking the branch with it. Jabb smacked the Mutticus, and it sped up, earning some more joyous exclaims from Jabb. But all good things had to come to an end, right? It was time to wrangle. He grabbed another dagger from his belt, fastening it on the branch's tip with some string from his handy-dandy belt. ''Sorry 'bout this, lass! Or, you know, whatevah you are...'' Jabb then raised his new, homemade weapon and slammed it down, it surprisingly going into the Mutticus's flesh. It squealed, some spurts of blood jetting from the wound.

''You're gonna be just fine, Muttsy!'' Jabb grasped the vine and clambered down the torso, swinging under its belly. He latched onto the other side, hurriedly getting up. He pulled tight, the vine wrapping around the Mutticus's stomach. ''Ooh, tough cookie...You _are_ a lass! Heh, never would've thought that. Good girl!'' Jabb patted her with a foot since he didn't have any free paws. Jabb dove down again with the vine in his maw, jumping onto one of the fast forelegs. He took the vine out of his mouth and coiled it around the female's leg. ''Bunny ears, and...'' Jabb's nimble claws tied a thick knot in only seconds. ''Jump!'' he launched himself over to the next leg. The cheetah, even quicker than before, finished the other knot as well. With an excited blare, the cheetah landed back onto the Mutticus, perfectly. The Mutticus started to slow a bit, for its legs had been all tangled up.

''Let's finish this up, shall we?'' Jabb snickered. But he then found himself in a muddle. The vine wasn't long enough for the hindlegs. He stared at it. ''Well, that's no fun...'' He frowned, his bandana shifting at his depression. ''Maybe I could-**UMPF!**''

Jabb didn't even know what had hit him at first. He swayed from a hefty branch. His tongue lolled from his jaws, oddly. ''Oh, okay, I see how it is! 'Effing, blasted-'' he was cut off again, his paws slipped, and he fell. ''Ow...'' he muttered, rubbing his head. The Mutticus was getting away, hoppling away. With a groan, Jabb sat upright. Birds circled around his head, quite literally, and he tried to snatch a few. But the birds fluttered off, in the same direction of the Mutticus.

''How helpful! 'Tis such a pleasure that you've come to lead the way to me ol' Muttsy.'' Jabb jolted up at the sight, promptly following the 'helpful' birds. Although, these birds had led him to something else, something else important. Jabb sniffed, his nose twitching intently. His house, which was nothing more but sticks and twigs expertly crafted by Jabb himself, was being raided. He flicked his ears, listening to the clamor inside. Thieves were taking his stuff!

Jabb immediately barged in, pushing past the long leaves that drooped down from the entrance, with a growl. Three cloaked bandits, all wearing mysterious, smiling masks to cover the rest of their appearance, had been rummaging through his items; the very, very valuable items especially. Jabb cleared his throat, instantly getting their attention. The cheetah drew out his rapier, which had been put away during his skirmish with the beast, and pointed it towards all of them. ''I don't think those belong to you.'' his voice shifted, now making him sound like an actual threat. The three didn't say a word.

''Pass over the gold and no one gets hurt.'' Jabb thrust his sword. Cookie started to step forward, but Poochie stopped her. Cookie softly whimpered in befuddlement. They spoke in whispers.

''La bombe.'' Poochie ordered.

''Are you sure? It's still a proto-''

''La. Bombe.''

That must've been a signal of some sort, because Cookie gradually pulled out a round, glass orb out of her cloak. Pink liquid swished inside of it and a potent fragrance ebbed from it. A mechanical block was taped onto the it, wires poking out of the object. The Seapoodle pushed onto the block, making it set off a series of quiet beeps. Jabb squinted his eyes. What was that? Cookie gently rolled the sphere, it halting at Jabb's feet. The cheetah cocked his head to a side, before it abruptly exploded, polluting the entire hut with perfume. Jabb, fortuanately, had closed his eyes, but that didn't help the scent from seeping under his bandana. He coughed harshly. Opening his eyes in such a mess wasn't the greatest idea, so he was practically a sitting, blind duck for Poochie, Cookie, and Candy.

And they had taken advangtage of that.

While Cookie and Candy hastily scooped up riches and stuffed them into sacks, Poochie cornered him. Jabb couldn't get away, not now at least. But before he could think of any plans, the Seapoodle fluttered her long lashes at him. ''I'm a thief...and I'm here to steal your heart.'' she put a paw on the side of his face, flirtatiously smirking.

''Uhm...what?'' Jabb asked.

Poochie only responded by slowly moving her paws down onto his chest. She glanced up at him, scooching closer. Jabb was trying to dart his pupils away, looking at the two that were gathering his treasure, but the Seapoodle pushed his head towards her. And in that split second of eye contant, Jabb was in a trance. The Seadog's eyes were large and wide, glimmering in a dreamy fashion. ''I like your spots.''

Jabb blinked, ''T-thanks...''

''Cutie.'' The Seapoodle cooed, grabbing Jabb's chin, pulling him forward. The cheetah's muscles relaxed unwillingly and he started to slur, absolutely mesmerized. A gentle purr arose in his throat. leaned in, gracefully took off Jabb's bandana, and released it onto the floor. Poochie pressed her muzzle against his. ''I think I'm going to call you...Kitty.'' she whispered.

''Kitty...'' Jabb echoed.

The she-beard giggled, like a little school girl. But instead of getting a kiss, Jabb had gotten a brisk thwack on the nose. He promptly snapped back to his senses, baring his teeth. ''Hey!'' The distraction had surely fooled him, the cheetah scowling as the Seapoodles fled with the riches. The little one stayed behind at the entrance, proceeding to mock him. She stuck her tongue out, before dashing off. The clanking of gold made Jabb's ear twitch. The noises ran off into the distance. Jabb, after wrapping his bandana back around his snout, tried to pursue them. But he had only ran into another bird instead, for the Seadogs had simply vanished. ''What?!'' he grabbed it, shaking it vigorously. The bird cheeped in fear, its eyes nearly bulging out of its head.

''What?''

The bird chirped.

''You know where they're going?''

The bird chirped.

''They've got a ship?! Called the Esper?'' Jabb exclaimed. He grinned, ''You're brilliant, little bird! Brilliant!'' The cheetah continued to squeeze the bird, excited. Jabb already knew where he was headed next. It was time for revenge.

* * *

Daylight. It had surrounded Whirlwind and Flashwing. They had been high up in the soft, cottony clouds that felt amazing beneath their talons. The sun shone through, it lovingly warming their bodies.

Oh, this was a dream, of course. A nice, happy dream.

''Isn't this nice, Flash?'' Whirlwind asked, getting rather comfy in a plumb cloud.

''Yeah...it is.'' Flashwing nodded. But she had been still been wary. They did indeed have the same exact dreams and nightmares for some reason now. Back in Skylands, they were being tended to by Voodood and Double Trouble, who believed that they might have been cursed by something.

Whirlwind smiled, nestling into her cloud, radiating some light from her horn in happiness. But her sleep inside her own slumber had been interrupted by a beautiful, melodic tune. Someone was singing in the distance. Whirlwind pricked her ears up. There was a dragon-like figure from a far, Whirlwind could just barely make out its outline. Flashwing had her head raised also.

''Flashwing, do you see that? Did you hear that?''

The gem dragoness nodded. She got up, immediately lowering her body, her tail charging up.

Whirlwind giggled, ''Oh, calm down. Don't go firing any crystals just yet. We don't know if that's a threat or not.''

''You should always be prepared.''

Whirlwind turned back to the figure, which was slowing revealing itself. It was a dragoness, her blue scales shimmered, flashing like diamonds. Her snout was petite and beaked, curved downwards fancily. It had looked as if little stars had been embellished in her wings, giving her an even brighter shine. Her head was crested with glimmering, lavender horns. Her chest and underbelly were a light sea foam. Dark, turquoise stripes etched her neck, some bordering around her eyes in a 'C' shape. A tribal-like marking was on her forehead; it had looked painted, but it was simply apart of her striking looks. She looked at the Skylanders and smiled, before flicking her tail, turning around and padding forward. The dragoness started to hum.

''Is she asking us to follow her?'' Flashwing asked, tilting her head.

''I-I think so...'' Whirlwind replied. The glowing dragoness glanced back once more, but continued onwards with a slight skip in her step. Flashwing and Whirlwind stared at each other, reluctantly shifting their claws. Could they trust a random dragon? A random dragon in a dream? Whirlwind shrugged lightly and began after the mystical dragon.

Flashwing sputtered in bewilderment, ''We're actually going to follow her?''

''It's just a dream. A good dream. Nothing can go wrong in a good dream.''

''You sound too confident about that.'' Flashwing remarked. ''But, since there's really nothing else to do here, I guess I'll tag along.'' Flashwing trotted after Whirlwind. Eventually, they had joined the dragoness, walking beside her.

''Oh, hello...'' the majestic dragon beamed. ''I am glad you decided to travel with me. My people need your help.''

''Well, we're good at saving people.'' Whirlwind laughed.

''I know...We know much about you, but there is little time to talk. I am Amethyst, and you are Whirlwind and your friend is Flashwing.''

''How'd y-''

''Little talk, little talk.'' Amethyst reminded. ''I will lead you to my home.'' She halted, ''Get ready...''

''For what?'' Whirlwind questioned, but she didn't have anytime to respond, for she had sank into the clouds.

They were all plummeting.

Flashwing was screaming, flailing her legs desperately. ''I can't fly!'' she bellowed with a high-pitched shriek. The gem dragoness always sounded squeaky when in fright. She certainly couldn't fly. Those crystals on her wings might have looked light, but they were the exact opposite. She could only glide and that was only if she was jumping off something with great height. And she wasn't very great at gliding either.

But Amethyst, however, was whooping in pure delight. ''You don't have to!'' she responded, uttering a loud_ woohoo_. Whirlwind, relaxing, following her with cheers. Flashwing continued to wail, ''I'm gonna dieeee!'' The sky around them darkened. The clouds turned an ominous, smoky gray. The brilliant sun transformed into a black orb. And then all of the sky disappeared into complete darkness.

They were falling down into complete darkness.

With a piercingly high squeal of the air, they dropped down into what looked as a totally different world. Surprisingly, they all landed on their feet, unharmed. Flashwing was still shaking. ''Is it over?''

Amethyst chuckled. The land around them was barren. Dust soared, making Whirlwind wince in an inept attempt to protect her eyes. Amethyst wasn't daunted by the sand and dirt that darted towards her eyes. Jagged rocks poked out from the dry earth; they looked like sharp claws. The sky was reddish and tangerine, as if wispy fires had been caught in it. Amethyst turned to Whirlwind. ''My home isn't far from here. We should get there in no time.'' She then bounded, laughing like usual.

''W-wait up!'' Flashwing exclaimed, for Whirlwind was starting after Amethyst. They eventually came across a humongous, gaping quarry...where dragons roamed. The dragons were all different, big and small, just like Whirlwind's past dream. But they weren't dim at all. Multiple tunnels were constructed in the walls around the bowl, leading into the clearing. The same jagged rocks resided around the hole, but the entrance had lower, smaller rubble.

''Woah...'' Whirlwind gawked. ''What is this place?''

''Home sweet home, of course. We call it The Pit!'' Amethyst cheerily replied. ''You'll get used to it. I'm sure you will.'' She dived down into the quarry. The dragoness slid down onto a serrated slope, entering the clearing with a proud chuff. She gazed up at the Skylanders, who were utterly shocked. ''Aren't you coming?''

''Uhm...'' Whirlwind murmured.

''It's safe! I promise!''

Flashwing grimaced at Whirlwind. ''I don't like that look.''

''Well, what else can we do?''

Flashwing opened her mouth to say something, but closed it in defeat. Whirlwind nudged Flashwing, before sliding down. It was actually quite harder than what Amethyst had made it look, the slope was bumpy, and Whirlwind constantly felt her claws getting agitated by its surface. She limped next to Amethyst, and Flashwing finally built up enough courage, doing the same as Whirlwind.

''Great!'' Amethyst gleamed. She began to turn away. ''Now, let's-'' Amethyst stopped. There was a dragon in front of them. He was massive, his muscles rippling with pulsing strength. His body was clad in golden, shiny armor. But his fiery, red skin still shown through some gaps. He stretched out his wings, menacing at the group of dragons. Whirlwind tensed up. This dragon didn't seem very...friendly.

''Pyralis.'' Amethyst dipped her head.

''Amethyst.'' Pyralis grumbled. He glanced down at Flashwing and Whirlwind. Some smoke rose from his nostrils. ''You've brought new arrivals, I see.''

''Yes, yes.''

Pyralis curled his lips, showing his large teeth. He leaned his head down, analyzing. Whirlwind mustered a smile, while Flashwing had been poised to strike. Pyralis cast Whirlwind a disdaining eye, ''What is this one? Why does she have a horn like that?'' He started to sniff.

''I'm...'' Whirlwind's voice faltered. No, she couldn't announce that she was a hybrid. She had experienced countless nightmares in which unicorns and dragons teased her. And in real life, some unicorns and dragons still jeered at her. Her past was never ever going to leave her, although she truly wished it did. But, when anything went wrong, she knew that the Skylanders, her friends, were there to protect her. Flashwing certainly seemed ready to battle, pointing her tail at Pyralis, growling. Although, even the gem dragoness wore a frightened look.

With a soft sigh, Whirlwind continued. ''I'm-''

''Deformed! She's deformed.'' Flashwing interrupted.

Pyralis scoffed lowly, ''Looks more like a hybrid to me. A half-blood. An-''

''Nevertheless, she's still a warrior. I've seen these two in action before; they are headstrong...Like us.'' Amethyst cut in. Her scales flashed in a vibrant series, to which Flint smirked at. What? Was that some sort of signal? Whirlwind cocked her head.

Pyralis nodded, ''Very well.'' He pulled his head back up. ''I'll take your word for it. But the King needs elementals, not cowardly, little miscreants. These two will be your responsibility, Amethyst, and only your responsibility. You do remember last time, don't you?''

''The King asked for bloodshed, and I gave him bloodshed. I proved my loyalty and I am only following orders. And you aren't the leader. You never will be. If I recall correctly, it was you who was-''

''Silence!'' he blustered. The red dragon then unfurled his wings, snapped his fangs, and uttered a guttural, ominous snarl. ''And as for you..._warriors_...'' Pyralis grunted. He flared his nostrils, puffing a cloud of ashy smog at the two, who promptly recoiled with coughs. ''I had expected more from elementals.'' Pyralis stated. He narrowed his eyes with a disgusted snort. ''I deeply, deeply dislike you.'' Pyralis seethed. After another grumble, he propelled himself into the air, flying off with an echoing roar.

''I deeply dislike you, too!'' Flashwing shouted at the dragon that grew smaller in the distance.

Amethyst heaved a sigh. ''Don't mind Pyralis, he's practically assigned to be rude. Uh, and speaking of roles, I've got something important...to do. I'll be back in a flash! Heheh!'' She then did the same as Pyralis, leaving the scene more gracefully, though.

''Oh, okay. Bye!'' Whirlwind waved.

''Why are you so..._peachy_?'' Flashwing asked. ''That _Pyralis_ character just insulted us.''

''I don't mind. After all, this is all a dream, right? He's not real. None of this is actually real.'' Whirlwind replied with a smile.

''Whatever you s-''

''Hiya!'' A copper dragon had nearly scared the scales off of Flashwing's body. His face was pushed in, like a common dragon, like Spyro. Only two fangs poked out. Ugly, swelling skin was on his shoved snout, bumped. Damaged scales resided around the patch of pink. ''Newbies!'' he said in glee. The dragonet scurried towards them.

''Hello there, little one.'' Whirlwind leaned down to get to his height. ''What's your name?''

''They call me Stubbs, but that's only my hatchling name. When I get big and strong like Pyralis, I'll get my_ real _name! We'll all get one! Well, heh, considering if you do defeat me in the arena...'' he introduced himself. In a mumble he added, ''Which I highly doubt...''

''So we'll all get new names? Like some sort of code names? Or is that only for the little ones?''

''It's for everyone! But only if you kill all of us first! Then you'll prove yourself worthy!''

Whirlwind and Flashwing flinched simultaneously.

''Killing...little children?'' Flashwing asked.

''Little children? No, of course not!''

Whirlwind sighed in relief. That sounded terrible! Why would anyone do such as thing? If he wasn't talking about slaughter, what had he meant then? Flashwing relaxed a bit, but she still carried a wary expression.

''Not all of us are little children, lady. We'll get to battle the grownups! And then maybe we'll all become truely loyal to the King. After all, the next in line will have to destroy him too. I hope I get a cool name...Like Scythe, or Blood, or Killer...or Sword! Yeah, I like that! Oooh, the possibilities are endless.''

Whirlwind wasn't sure if she liked this dream anymore...


	11. Twists, Tangles, and Tunnels

_Weird, but they're explained in this chapter...a little bit. Yeah, now Crook's just here to just beat up! That poor little fox...Nah, he'll come in handy sooner or later._

_Dark community? Hah! Yeah, right...Yes, we are going to have some killings. Not too gory, of course! Just some minor dragon deaths...and other deaths...Maybe._

* * *

''Stay awake! Or else The Cardmaster will have ya mounted onto the wall...''

Patches, and a group of Seadogs, stood outside of the Esper, which was taking refuge out at Tangleroot at the time. The inhabitants of Cloudbreak had already knew they were lurking about, so The Cardmaster was sending guards out during the day and the night. They didn't get any sleep, for their eyes had to be open at all cost.

''Hogface, wake up!'' Patches snapped at the bulky Seadog next to him. Hogface yelped, straightening up, and saluting to absolutely no one in particular. He was one of the newest Seadogs, one from the bar, who was kind of foolish, much to The Cardmaster's dismay. Hence his name, Hogeface's nose was similar to a pig's. With those pointed ears of his, he looked more like a weird bat than a Seadog. Better yet, two teeth protruded from the sides of his mouth, giving the illusion of tusks.

''Stay. Awake.'' Patches repeated, furiously. He didn't exactly know why he cared so much for his team's survival. If they died, he thought he shouldn't have any sympathy at all. But, just maybe, The Cardmaster would blame him, ending his life also.

''Eh, Patches...D'you know what that is?'' Hogface rose a paw, tilting his head.

''You're imagining things. We've been out here for too long.'' Patches bluntly replied. But even he had felt uncertain that this was just a figment of their imaginations. They'd been hearing strange noises for hours. The Seadog's fur prickled, ''J-just be alert, okay?'' The others mumured in agreement, but amid the violent rustle of leaves. Vibrant birds screeched, the thrum of their wings immediately making all of the Seadogs tense up.

''Maybe we should go...?'' one suggested quietly, raising a timid paw.

''G-g-go? Go?! Did you hear about what happened to Chester? And remember the rookies? They never stood a chance, leaving a boat behind with those Skylanders like that...One they ended up crashing and ruining. We're staying, and that's final.'' Patches replied. ''Otherwise, if you'd like to have your hand chopped clean off, or be bitten by Snappers repeatedly in filthy water, o-or be fed to those...those dragons, then go ahead. He won't be merciful, he never will be.'' he added. ''Right, Hogface?''

He hadn't gotten a reply. ''Hogface?'' Patches then whirled around to find his crewmates collapsed onto the ground with shadowy figure inching his way towards him. ''Not again...'' he moaned. Before Patches could draw out any weapon, Jabb's tail had seized his neck, coiling around it. Patches was vulnerable, taken by complete surprise.

''Helloooo...'' the cheetah smirked, stifling a few snickers. Patches tried to free himself, pulling at Jabb's tail desperately. But the cheetah certainly wouldn't let him get off that easily. ''Hmmm, what should I do to you? D'you got any ideas? No, none at all? Hah! Oh well, guess I'll just to...'' Jabb's voice diminished for suspense. Patches yelped immediately. Jabb grinned wickedly, ''What? This ol' thing? Just a little renevation. Goes great for stabbin' and jabbin' and guttin' and...Say, wouldn't be much of a surprise if I told you what it did, now would it? Hehahah! Let's make this simple, yes?'' An abomination of a weapon was in his grasp. It was something like a serrated knife with multiple, sharp barbs. Two, different blades stuck out from its hilt, disorderly. At the bottom, an large fang resided, bordered by a few more spikes. A chain wrapped around it, connected to a dastardly looking trap.

''W-what do you want?!'' The Seadog's voice was a mixture between frightened and enraged, and he wasn't even sure how he should've been feeling at that point.

''What do I want? Yes, what do I want? Hm, if I do recall correctly, a little birdy told me that you pirates have some stuff of mine. Valuable things, you see. I don't want to lose 'em. No one wants to lose something important, right? What's important to you, mate? Your treasure? Your life?'' Jabb started to toy with him, tapping the Seadog's head with his blade. ''That's got to be meaningful.''

''I don't know what you're talking about!''

''_Tsk tsk_, what a ditzy, little puppy you are.'' Jabb shook his head in disbelief. ''I only ask for my riches to be returned. But, you're making this difficult, dog. 'Pose I'll have to resort to the next stage.'' Jabb started to pad away, taking Patches with him. He then placed Patches in front of him, releasing his tail's grip, but firmly holding the Seadog's claws behind the splotched pirate's back just in case he got any ideas.''You shall be my living shield.'' Jabb whispered. ''Lead the way...Or else.''

Patches, now without any weapons, for Jabb had stolen them without him even noticing, reluctantly began to lead him to the Esper. He had simply hoped for the best, although he knew that The Cardmaster was a ruthless, killing machine. Why would Patches possibly be kept alive?

Finally inside the Esper, they had practically ran into the magic menace himself, and a few other crewmembers as well.

''See? I told you that something was-'' Crook started, still all tied up and suffering.

''You didn't tell me anything, whelp. I predicted this...'' The Cardmaster snarled. He turned towards the Treacherous Trio, who shifted uneasily, laughing bashfully in their cloaks. Jabb grinned at them, smugly.

''What d'you want, cat?! It's the middle of the night!''

''Treasure...''

''Don't we all?'' The Cardmaster grumbled.

''No, I mean, **my** treasure. A little birdie told me that you have it somewhere...''

''A little birdie?''

''Yes, yes, a little birdie. It's not that hard to comprehend, mate. Why can't you pirates get that through your thick skulls?!''

The Cardmaster immediately snarled, ''Bite me!''

''Why would I do that? I'm not that cruel, cap'n. Buuut, I can't say the same thing about my knives...''

''Don't you dare touch a single hair on that Seadog's head!'' The Cardmaster shouted. Was he actually trying to protect Patches?

''Boop!'' Jabb began poking Patches, smiling. ''Oh my, did I do th-'' he began. The Cardmaster levitated all of the weapons out of Jabb's belt, pulling them towards him, before firing them back at the cheetah. Lucikly, they halted just at the tip of his snout.

''Release him.''

''Releasin'.''

Patches hurriedly sprinted over to the rest of his crewmates, panting in relief.

''Cards, don't hurt Kitty...too much.'' Poochie whimpered.

''Yes, Cards, don't hurt Kitty!'' Jabb nodded.

''I should bash your head in right here, but I think I'll wait...You could serve some purpose here. You're a hunter, a stealthy assassin, something that I need on the Esper. I have a simple job for you, hunter...''

''Will I get treasure?''

''Yes, yes, you will...'' Then, The Cardmaster turned to Poochie. ''He'll be staying with you for the night, since you know him all so well.''

''What?!'' the Trio yawped. The Cardmaster didn't respond, already returning back to his room, dismissing the others.

''_Ladies_...'' Jabb purred with a wink. ''Let's have some _fun_.''

Candy grimaced at Poochie, ''I blame you for this.''

* * *

Dragons cluttered, chattering amid the crowds. Flashwing and Whirlwind were squeezed in amongst them. After meeting their new friend, Stubbs, they had been escorted into one of the tunnels, with lots of other inhabitants of The Pit as well. Much to Flashwing's dismay, where they had resided was a dank cavern, which reminded her of the past dream. She hoped there weren't any mysterious dragons to pull them away with chains. Stubbs waggled his tail with a broad grin on his face. ''I can't wait!'' he fluttered his wings. The dragonet was kind of funny looking with that blistered snout of his. His wings were a pretty shade of auburn, almost like the sun setting. He had a spiny Mohawk colored like sand. His eyes were jade green, sparkling with brilliant curiosity. Three horns rested on both sides of his face, all curving downwards.

From what Flashwing had heard, the King was arriving. It did look like something was indeed happening, all of the dragons anxiously shifting. Some, golden armor-clad dragons, stood in single file, parallel lines, sitting across from each other. A red carpet led towards a throne, although it hadn't looked very much like a throne at all. It appeared more like craggy, sharp slabs of rocks put together. The throne couldn't have belonged to any _good_ king, its wicked attributes proving that. Two dragons with silver armor sat beside it, each on two sides of the throne. Like the dragons in golden armor, they hadn't said a word. Beneath their talons, lay a glowing, blue ball.

''What are those?'' Whirlwind asked.

''Gifts from The Cardmaster! You see, before the King was imprisoned, he knew The Cardmaster. The King had saved his life in his battle against an enemy pirate. The King and The Cardmaster soon made an alliance, and since his life was saved, The Cardmaster made an oath to repay The King, no matter what. So-''

''The Cardmaster's allied with your leader?'' Flashwing asked.

''Uh-huh, they're friends. As I was saying, after the King's punishment, The Cardmaster was finally able to repay him. Using his magic, he was able to talk to the King with his mind. The King told him that he needed to be revived, sent back out into the world and take revenge on Skylands. And The Cardmaster told him that he needed a strong, powerful dragon like him back as his ally. So, The Cardmaster said to him that the only way he could set him free, was bring back elementals who could reverse the curse! That's where you guys come in! You can save our kingdom! Heh, confusing, right? Those little things in the guards' claws are able to give us the ability to talk to the King once more. Buuut when you break him free, we won't have to use those silly illusion orbs!''

Flashwing grimaced. These dragons had been bringing up this _elemental_ talk quite frequently. Whirlwind and Flashwing didn't understand any of it.

''Oh, ooo, they're getting prepared!'' Stubbs gawked. The two dragons near the throne propped the orbs onto the arms of the throne, it clicking into place. Abruptly, light seeped from the holes in the rocks. An aura of blue surrounded it.

Blue lights.

Whirlwind winced along with the others, although Flashwing was the only one able to withstand it. With the sound of crumples and cracking, the throne gradually morphed into something that looked exactly like a rock version of...The Dragon's Throne. There was an explosion of the luminous fire, just like the old dream. Finally, with a loud, triumphal bellow, their leader had been revealed, ''My _ssss_ubjects...'' The dragons in the crowd cheered joyously, while the Skylanders were frozen solid.

''Vathek!'' Flashwing couldn't stop the squeal that flew from her mouth. The other dragons simultaneously swiveled their heads, even the guards. A few growls emerged, making Flashwing promptly tense up. Was Vathek only called King here?

''Who _sss_aid that? Who ha_ssss ssssspoken?_'' Vathek looked as if he was out for blood. It wasn't surprising though, he still appeared as ruthless as always. The dragons shifted out of the way, even Stubbs, to present Flashwing and Whirlwind.

''My, my, you've arrived...'' Vathek's enraged expression had dimmed down, a curvy, devious smirk on his face.

Whirlwind was already maddened, ''What do you want from us, Vathek?!'' She earned some snarls at the name from the others.

''Do not call me that, _Ssss_kylander!'' Vathek hissed. He sat back on his throne, some bluish smog rising from his nostrils. ''I am the King! The King of Dragon_ssss_!''

''No you're not! King Ramses is the true King of Dragons!'' Whirlwind protested.

Vathek chortled and his subjects echoed his laughs. The wyvern shook his head in mirth. ''_Sssss_kylander, you are mistaken. But you are forgiven. I need you...''

''For what?!''

''I _ssss_ee they've kept it a _sssss_ecret. Well then, I'll put it _sssss_imply. I need _sssss_oul_sss_...''

That didn't sound too good. Flashwing scowled, ''Why?''

''The Cardma_ssss_ter ha_sss_ cho_sss_en you two. You _sssss_hall be my...Elemental_ssss_. The _ssss_oul_sss_ of elemental_ssss_ are all I need. _Ssss_kylander_ssss_ are _ssss_ome of the _sss_trongest one_sss_ out there. Now I am _ssss_tarting to under_ssss_tand why you've been cho_sss_en.'' Vathek replied.

''If you need the souls of elementals so badly, why don't you just kill The Cardmaster? He's magical.'' Flashwing retorted.

''I would if I could. _Ssss_adly, I'm _ssss_till nothing but a mere _ssss_tatue. Bessssidesss, he i_sss_ the one conducting my revival, I need him as well. Without a sorcerer, I wouldn't be able to fulfill it. But enough about that fool, let'sss get this over with.'' Vathek then nodded towards the guard on his right. Silently, the guard motioned to his companion, who slunk behind the throne.

He returned with a chain was in his mouth.

''Wait!'' Flashwing exclaimed.

Vathek glared at her, hissing like wild. ''What?!''

''Oh, I am petty, I am only a worm beneath your talons, great King.'' Flashwing suddenly bowed, making Whirlwind blink in confusion. The gem dragoness then nudged Whirlwind.

''What?'' Whirlwind questioned.

''Bow!'' Flashwing whispered. Without any other words, Whirlwind hesitantly followed Flashwing's lead.

''Say something nice.'' Flashwing quietly continued.

''Oh, u-um, we both grovel before you...L-lord Vathek.'' Whirlwind stammered.

Vathek leaned in, intrigued. ''Hmm, put away the chain_sss_, I want to _ssss_ee how long thi_ssss_ will go on.''

''I was wrong! You are the true leader of all dragons!'' Whirlwind yelled. ''Come on everyone, bow before the King's might!''

Yesss...ye_ssss._'' Much to Vathek's delight, they had all started to bow, clamoring over each other. He smiled and puffed out his chest. ''Continue. Bow before your ma_ssss_ter! Now, I demand you! I demand you all!'' After several praises, Vathek had finally stopped them. ''It _sss_eem_sss_ that I have al_sss_o been missstaken...You _sss_hall be _sss_pared _Sss_kylander_sss_...for now. If you want to _ssss_urvive here you'll have to fight, that is Dragon Law. You will be gladiator_ssss_, fighting to the **death**. _Sss_so, you _sss_ee, even if you weren't killed here, you will be killed _ssss_ometime, _sssss_omewhere in the Arena. For my entertainment. Dead or alive, the _ssss_pell will _sss_till work. Oh, think of all the fun we'll have. Let'_sss_ _sss_tart with the fir_sss_t match tod-''

The orbs started to flicker, gaining some saddened _awwws_ from the crowd. Vathek groaned. Even his figure started to jitter and fade away. ''I _sss_uppo_sss_e I have to go, friend_ssss_. It was nice meeting you, my preciou_ssss_ elemental_ssss_. I mu_sss_t re-'' He vanished, the orbs turning black just seconds after.

Flashwing and Whirlwind looked at each other, uneasily. But before they could say anything, a vicious roar had made everyone flinch.

''They're back!'' one dragon shouted happily. Hurriedly, the dragons scattered towards the entrance of the tunnel and halted. Whirlwind, Flashwing, and Stubbs had to force their way through.

''Who's back?'' Whirlwind asked.

''Our hunters!'' Stubbs squeaked, thumping his tail on the ground.

Whirlwind and Flashwing peeked their heads out to find Pyralis and one of their newest enemies, Gravel. Where was Amethyst? When did Gravel leave? And where had she been? But the Skylanders hadn't been so worried about that. They had other problems. Pyralis was snapping at Gillmen, trying to hurry them up, or just plain scare them.

''You'll never get away with this! Chieftess Tessa will stop-'' one of the Gillmen started, who was being snarled at by Pyralis at the time.

''Shut up!'' Pyralis brutally whacked the Gillman's head with his tail.

''Ow!''

''Kneel peasant, the King demands it!'' Pyralis raised his wings, making himself look more threatening in appearance. ''Now!'' he bared his teeth at the Gillmen, who hurriedly, fearing for their lives, kneeled.

''We've got to get out there!'' Whirlwind exclaimed.

''No, this is how it's meant to be. We're dragons.'' Stubbs shook his head. Unanimous murmurs echoed in the tunnel. The dragons hadn't seemed fazed by the horrific acts of Pyralis and Gravel; they were just nodding in agreement. Then again, the dragons were used to killing their friends in the arena. Surely, this was like an everyday thing.

''T-t-that's crazy talk!'' Whirlwind yelled, staring at Stubbs with wide, terrified eyes.

''You act like you've never eaten meat before.'' Stubbs commented. Cocking his head to a side, he added, ''You do eat meat, right?'' The others chattered, utterly confused. It was as if the Skylanders were the crazy ones.

''The lesser beings are prey. Didn't you eat Gillmen back in your old homeland? Or Mabu? Or foxes? Or yetis?'' A silvery dragoness asked. Flashwing's mouth was agape. She wasn't sure what to think. If they rescued the Gillmen or any being that was brought into the Pit, Vathek's dragons wouldn't be able to eat. But, if they didn't rescue the prey, they would be completely deserting their job as Skylanders. The silvery dragoness continued, ''Mmm, they're nice...'' Her face was all cheery, as if the fact that they were slaughtering people in cold blood and then eating them was enjoyable.

''That's disgusting!'' Flashwing blurted out. That had received even more bewildered whispers among the crowd. Some had eventually decided to speak up...with suggestions.

''Have you ever tried gremlin? Their flesh is stringy, but quite satisfying. Elves are good as well. They put up a fight though, and it's easier just to snap their necks without wasting energy.''

''Oooh, and Mermasquids! They're kind of like Gillmen, all salty, but better than Squidface. Frost Felines give you a little tingle on the tongue when you bite into them. It's cold, but it feels great. They talk way too much though, it's really, really, really irritating. Thankfully, they stop talking once you kill them.''

''Sky Barons taste exactly like Storm Chickens, you can never tell the difference. The chickens give a little spark though, it's a nice sensation.''

''Ever tried Drilla, dear? The gorillas are a bit heftier with a lot more meat than the monkeys. They're excruciatingly hard to find though; we have to dig our way down into their underground systems. They try to fight us, but end up tiring themselves out.''

''What about griffin? Eel? Seadog? Crustaceans, fairies, and those little, shaman bears...They all taste delicious.''

''Has anyone tried human before? No one? I've always wanted to eat one of those modern Portal Masters, their idiotic ways have troubled Vathek. Those little fleshy things, they're always helping Skylanders...They're so weird.''

''Sparkler Dragons? Mmmm, spicy.''

''What?!'' Whirlwind and Flashwing yelped.

''Sparkler Dragons...or Krakens, whatever they like to call themselves now. You know, the lizards that walk on two legs, with the fireworks, cramped onto a island surrounded by flames, they sound kind of weird with those raspy, scratchy voices.'' Stubbs replied.

''You eat...other dragons?'' Flashwing's voice trailed away. She already knew the answer to that question. There was a surge of laughter from the dragons behind her.

''They're not _real_ dragons.'' Stubbs snickered.

''And who told you that?'' Whirlwind asked.

''The King.''

They continued to chatter. Flashwing was absolutely terrified. These dragons were cannibals. And they had practically just listed a bunch of Skylanders and the innocent cilivians the Skylanders were supposed to save!

''Oh no...'' Whirlwind murmured, flattening her ears back in distress.

This was no joke.

They were going to kill, and then eat, the Gillmen. The poor, harmless Gillmen...Pyralis was enjoying their misery, staling, listening to the desperate whines of his prey. He turned to Gravel, who had her big claws on top of two of them. Her eyes weren't set onto her captives. Instead, she was staring intently at the dragons still in the tunnel. She knew something was up.

''We should end this already.'' Pyralis said.

Gravel smiled, ''You go first.''

''My pleasure.'' Pyralis promptly turned back to his victim, smirking.

Flashwing and Whirlwind both rushed out, but it had been too late. The eyes of the Gillman being tormented by Pyralis were in a state of shock. The dragon's spade had impaled him. Struck through his chest, the Gillman didn't have any other choice but to accept his fate. Pyralis dragged his tail up, audibly slicing through flesh, and then drawing his spade out. Pyralis flung the flesh that dangled from it with the flick of his tail. But he hadn't expected what came next. The Skylanders were retaliating. Pounded by streams of rainbows and blinding light, Pyralis recoiled. Shrieking, he tried to protect himself with his wings. Crystals, surprisingly, dented his armor, clanking loudly. Gravel had already dodged out of the way, safe and out of the fray. Whirlwind and Flashwing were a tag team, now taking turns in battling Pyralis. Whirlwind circled around him, firing rapidly. But soon enough, she was knocked down by the deadly swipe of a claw. It sent her reeling backwards, skidding across the earthy, arid floor with pain.

Pyralis roared and a long gush of flames burst from his mouth, targeting Flashwing. The gem dragoness, fortuanately, had averted, but her scales had been torched. She stifled her misery, scowling at Pyralis. Whirlwind eventually struggled up. Her eyes were locked onto the remaining Gillmen, who were trying to run away. Sadly, Gravel was doing the same thing as Whirlwind, but saving them wasn't on her mind. The stocky dragoness began chase. Whirlwind immediately followed her, shooting her rainbows with all her might. Gravel, finally annoyed, rounded on her, whipping her tail at Whirlwind, who luckily ducked down. Whirlwind sprinted under Gravel, and then stabbed the dragoness with her horn, right in the underbelly. It was difficult to puncture through the tough skin, however the Skylander managed to make her foe bellow. Gravel started to run around as if she were deranged. Whirlwind was now pulsing rainbows inside of Gravel, making Gravel buck and kick in agony. The hybrid did eventually slip out, collapsing onto the floor with blood on her head. Although she did feel about squeamish about what she had done, she reluctantly ignored the fact that she looked as if she had just came back from war. Whirlwind glanced back at Gravel. The earthy dragoness lay up against the quarry's wall, actually quite frightened. Whirlwind had kind of felt bad, but turned away from the whimpering dragoness with a triumphant, horse-like snort.

The Gillmen, still scared, started to cower at the sight of Whirlwind. The hybrid started to pad towards them, smiling.

''Don't hurt us, ma'am!''

''Please!''

''I'm not going to hurt you...'' Whirlwind cooed. ''I'm a Skylander...''

''R-r-r-r-really?''

''Yes. Here, let me help.'' Whirlwind leaned her head in. Her bloodied horn started to sparkle, a cluster of luminosity at the tip of it. In a flash, the two Gillmen vanished.

Pyralis roared in contempt. It was a shattering, powerful roar, filled with rage. And that was the rest the Skylanders had heard...

Flashwing awoke with a scared yelp, jolting up.

''Sssshhh...Everything okay. Flashwing safe.''

''Vathek! Where are you? Show yourself, coward!'' Flashwing growled.

''Flashwing, Voodood only here.''

The gem dragoness blinked, her eyes focusing on the Orc that stood before her, ''O-oh...'' Everthing was fine. She was still in the Medic Tent, being cared for by Voodood, where no cannibalistic dragons or insane kings could get to her.

''Flashwing have nightmare?'' Voodood asked.

''Flashwing do have nightmare...'' Flashwing nodded, pawing at the ground uneasily.

''What about?''

''I don't really want to talk about it...'' Flashwing sank into the pillows underneath her, frowning. Her eyes gazed towards the dragon's skull on Voodood's head, making her quiver. If they ever returned back to that fantasy, they surely would be forced to slay another dragon. Maybe Vathek would just have them punished on the spot for freeing the Gillmen, or maybe they would be tortured. Or worse...

''Gah!'' Whirlwind eventually awoke, her ears pricked up, wings raised. ''Did we save them? Where are the Gillmen?!''

''Gillmen?'' Voodood questioned.

''Oh, thank goodness...'' Whirlwind buried her face into her pillows, happily. ''Just a dream...Again.''

There was an odd yowl from outside, followed by a heavy thud and the scrambles of feet. Scratch peeked her head in. A plate with a big, sprinkled, pink slice of cake was in her mouth, surprisingly unscathed by the tumble. She gently placed it onto the ground. ''Delivery from Ghost Roaster and friends. It was my idea, but you know...The others helped out with it.''

Whirlwind propped her head up. ''Awww, that's so sweet.'' She sounded so glad, as if she had completely forgotten about the Gillman being stabbed, or the idea of being gladiators. But it did smell sweet. Finally, realization did indeed dawn on her. ''But I'm not very hungry...''

''Yes, yes, Whirlwind and Flashwing have nightmare about bad, meat-eating dragons and good Gillmen.'' Voodood nodded towards Scratch.

''W-wha?'' Flashwing was promptly alerted. ''H-how do you-''

''Speaking of Gillmen, there's two outside. Sonic Boom's been trying to comfort them, but I think they need medical attention more than beak kisses.'' Scratch snickered. Gillmen? She then led Voodood out of the tent, leaving Flashwing to gawk. The gem dragoness turned to Whirlwind, who was doing the exact same thing.

* * *

''_Spyro, Spyro, Spyro!_'' Sparx fluttered around his purple companion, excitedly. ''_What we goin' to do today? Huh, huh, huh? Lavy Pits? Fisherin'?_'' he cheeped. Spyro smiled, getting a brief, little nuzzle from the dragonfly before he zipped around again.

''_Adventure?_'' Sparx started to ask repeatedly.

''None of those.'' Spyro replied.

''_Oh..._'' Sparx's antennae drooped. But they soon perked back up again, bobbing up and down in happiness. ''_We goin' to see Ninjini?_'' he snickered. Spyro tensed up at the name. '' _'Chu like 'er._'' Sparx giggled, chirping in amusement. Ninjini was pretty spectacular...and pretty...But she and her comrades weren't in the Mainland; they were off with their own troubles. But they hadn't really informed Spyro about their conflicts. Arkeyans, Spyro had guessed. The remains of their past battle with Kaos and the Arkeyans were only lesser, scraggly droids, but even they proved to be a problem, trying to reanimate their beloved, almighty Conquertrons.

''No.'' Spyro responded, casting Sparx an unamused face.

''_Waz just tellin' truth! Heheh! Now, where we go?_''

''To meet Cynder.''

Sparx's wings started to give off a fidgety buzz, warily. ''_Cyndur?_''

''Cynder.'' Spyro nodded.

''_Cyndur_!'' Sparx shrieked. He immediately cowered underneath Spyro's wing. ''_Scary lady, scary lady..._'' Sparx buzzed around in Spyro's wings, hastily.

Cynder was already walking towards them, like Spyro had planned, Slobber Tooth along with her, happily. Slobber Tooth was kind of cantering like a pony, while Cynder was trudging, her pupils slits. She was slumped down, growling, and was surprisingly moving a lot slower than the Skylander beside her. Her eyes were tainted with flaming hatred.

Spyro dipped his head, ''Cynder...''

''Spyro...Why am I here?'' The dragoness's voice was a low hiss and deceptively calm.

''_Yeah, w-why s-she h-here?_'' Sparx asked.

''I told you already, Cyn. Spyro wants to talk to you.'' Slobber Tooth grinned.

''_We_ want to talk to you.'' Spyro corrected, curling his tail around his forelegs.

Cynder raised a brow, ''About what? Shouldn't you be bothering someone else? There's tons of other Skylanders here...'' She sat down with a grumble. ''I don't have time for this. Why'd you even bring this great lump to awaken me? And with a gross lick of all things! I told you that I like my slee-''

''Cynder, Cynder, calm down...'' Spyro rose a claw.

''Why should I?!''

''Boy, you're a little...feisty today. Wrong side of the bed?''

Cynder snorted. ''Enough chit-chat. Explain. I'm getting bored.''

Spyro heaved a sigh, prepping himself. ''You know about Whirlwind and Flashwing, right?''

''Oh, dearie me. No, it's not like everyone here knows about Whirlwind and Flashwing. What's wrong with them?'' Cynder's voice dripped with extreme sarcasm. She wrinked her snout. ''Is that what you called me here for?! To tell me the big news?''

''Well, since you know a lot about dark powers and such...I think that you can help us.'' Spyro replied.

''Ask Grim Creeper, or Chop Chop, or Ghost Roaster, or Hex, yes, Hex. Why don't you ask her? She's good with the dark magic stuff. Oh wow, I suppose I've given enough help already. I'll be on my way. And finally get some sleep...'' Cynder began to turn around, but Slobber Tooth stopped her with his tail, blocking the way. The dragoness grimaced, ''...Really? I can just fly-''

''But you're not goin' to...'' Slobber Tooth pushed his snout to hers, gritting his teeth in a low growl. ''Are ya?''

Spyro snickered to himself. Sometimes, it was really great to have Slobber Tooth around. Like Hot Dog, he was completely loyal to the Skylanders, and faced any problem head-on. Literally. Cynder had been taken by surprise, blinking as if she hadn't understood what had just happened. Slobber Tooth was eying Cynder, staring like an owl. Cynder decided that she didn't like the look, and veered her head away. She then pointed, ''Look! A Greeble!''

''Greebles?!'' Slobber Tooth immediately swvieled his head, drooling in excitement. Realization had dawned on him. ''Wait. Greebles are only in Cloudbreak...Cynder!''

The dragoness was trying to fly away, but Slobber Tooth had gently wrapped his jaws around her tail, dragging her down with his weight. Cynder scrabbled, although, of course, Slobber Tooth wouldn't let go. She was dragged towards Spyro, like a dog on a leash. Cynder tried to yank her tail out of Slobber Tooth's slimy maw, grunting. But she wasn't getting anywhere.

''Nice work.'' Spyro commented.

''Tmwanks.'' Slobber Tooth smiled, softly gnawing on Cynder's tail as if it were a chew toy.

''Stop that!'' Cynder exclaimed. Slobber Tooth finally released, and Cynder fell back with a yelp. She jolted up, shaking herself off with irritated groans. ''Symptoms?'' she grumbled.

''Weird dreams, about dragons and-'' Spyro started.

''The 'Bane of Your Existence' curse, or something like that. I don't really know.'' Cynder shrugged.

''What is it?'' Spyro tilted his head.

''A sorcerer's spell.''

''No, I mean, what does it do? Is it fatal?''

''Errr...''

''Is. It. Fatal?'' Spyro repeated.

''T-that depends...'' Cynder pawed at the ground.

''What do you-'' Spyro started.

''Spyro!'' Sonic Boom rushed towards them. Her feathers were all ruffled, obviously worried about something. With big, frightened eyes she finally announced, ''We've got trouble...'' She flicked her tail towards two, bandaged Gillmen, who were trembling. ''They came out of no where. They say they were being chased by big, bloodthirsty dragons! A-and they lost a friend...''

* * *

After lots of goodbyes, the Swappers had packed up, and set out on their deformed, ragged hot air balloon. They brought all the essentials, of course. Although, most of the essentials were basically random things that would no way help them survive. Freeze Blade, not surprisingly being the odd Frost Feline he is, had taken a camera along for the ride, with no other reason behind it besides-

''It's for the memories!''

The Swappers had just arrived at their first destination: Tangleroot. The trees were huge, stretching up like bulky snakes. Their roots were gnarled, all sent into different directions, dug into the earth. The foliage from the trees had practically almost covered the sky, only leaving a thin streak of it visible from above. Thorny vines hung from the branches as if they were alive, swishing at the gentle breeze, waiting to strike. Not to mention the grass that had nearly engulfed the Swappers's bottom halves. But the air was crisp with the scent of lovely flowers and delectable fruits. Grilla Drilla couldn't retain himself from smiling, but since he was low on his knuckles, the grass hid him, and no one else could see his glee. Though a strong, fierce Drilla gorilla, he cheeped softly, slightly bouncing up and down in excitement. He had been used to earthy, underground areas. But above the Drilla Kingdom there had been a jungle. And it was just like paradise. Tangleroot was just like paradise. ''Amazing! It looks great! Let's go!'' Grilla Drilla bounded, but soon halting with sheepish snickers, turning back around. ''Oh, urm, I mean...It's kinda cool.'' After that, he grinned, and continued onwards.

Stink Bomb too had been facing the elegant calls of the forest. He took a few steps, hesitantly, watching as Grilla Drilla swung from vines. The Swampskunk looked towards Wash Buckler, ''C-can I-''

''Go nuts.''

Stink Bomb didn't need to be told twice, and he immediately dashed, ''Wait for me!''

''Life Skylanders...'' Trap Shadow shook his head in disbelief. ''We should probably follow them, before they do anything...reckless''

Wash Buckler nodded. The remaining Swappers followed the joyous Life Skylanders, going deeper into Tangleroot. ''Map.'' Wash Buckler ordered. Magna Charge gave his leader Tessa's map. Spy Rise scuttled forward, looking at the map as well.

''We should set up camp.'' Magna Charge suggested.

''Yes, it'd be smart, before night falls, and that storm gets here.'' Spy Rise agreed. Free Ranger had been worried about some storm hitting and he was always right about weather. So, he was checking the sky periodically, just in case.

''Mehhh...'' Wash Buckler grimaced.

''I suppose you're thinking about something else.'' Spy Rise sighed.

''I'm just trying to develop different solutions, like you techy guys.'' Wash Bucker tried to concentrate, staring at the map, as if he was waiting for something to happen. ''Yeah, I've got nothing. What were you saying?''

''I can't see anything.'' Fire Kraken abruptly announced. ''And why's it so hot all of a sudden? It's toasty in here...And I love it! That's always good, right? Toasty's niiice.'' he added. He continued to ramble, ''Wait. Why's it smell like flesh? Like a dead, rotting ogre corpse...Kinda like Stink Bomb, heheh.'' The Swappers could only stare.

''Well, considering your, uhh, situation, toasty is definitely not a good thing.'' Magna Charge replied. Fire Kraken was dangling from the mouth of a rather large, carnivorous plant, his head entirely concealed in its jaws. The plant didn't seem friendly like any gentle Gobblepod. Gobblepods were an endangered species, but they did have some sub-species. And this one most likely didn't care if you were bad or good; it just wanted to eat.

''Ow, ow! What was that?! Trap Shadow? Is he poking me? Wherever he is...''

''Poking? You? Why would I waste my time with that? You're the one in a giant, dangerous flytrap thing.'' Trap Shadow scoffed.

''Wait...**WHAT?!**''

''Trap Shadow!'' Wash Buckler chided.

''What? Did you want me to lie?'' Trap Shadow crossed his arms.

''Fire Kraken, stop struggling you're going to make it worse.'' Grilla Drilla, now on the ground followed by Stink Bomb, stepped forward.

''You say that like I'm not in danger!'' Fire Kraken retorted.

''Because you're not in danger.'' Grilla Drilla groaned.

''Just attack it! That always works!'' Freeze Blade grinned. Fire Kraken, with haste, whacked the predator. Fortunately, he did fall out, shaking off the green saliva off his head wildly.

''I thought we agreed to never follow Freeze Blade's words of wisdom.'' Night Shift commented.

''But it was about to eat me!''

''And now, its about to eat all of us. You made it, and all its friends, angry.'' Grilla Drilla grunted. Lots of man-eating plants emerged, baring their horrid fangs, hissing in contempt. Some flared their frills up, looking a bit more like eyeless reptiles than plants.

''How didn't we notice these things before?'' Wash Buckler asked.

''I dunno.'' Freeze Blade, raising the camera that was around his neck, then took a picture of the enraged creatures. ''But that's a keeper!' If only I had took a picture when-''

''I don't know about you guys, but, shouldn't we, you know, be running?'' Stink Bomb grimaced at the carnivorous plants that snarled at him, timidly.

''That's a very nice suggestion.'' Magna Charge nodded. ''Why don't we follow Stink Bomb's words of wisdom for now on?''

''Because we'd be running away every time we see a ba-'' Rubble Rouser began.

''Don't!'' Stink Bomb interrupted. ''Don't you say it!''

The plants, growing tired of watching their blabbering, started to snap at them, stretching their necks out. Uttering infernal noises in rage, at their calls, more and more arrived. The Swappers started to back up, but soon found out that they were surrounded by them.

''Aaand Stink Bomb's words of wisdom it is!'' Wash Buckler, jumping back at the vicious plant that had nearly bit his head off, finally decided. The Swappers hastily proceeded to run, dodging out of the way of any dangerous snaps. Eventually, they had got to a clearing, already exhausted.

''Freeze Blade's not he-'' Spy Rise was in the midst of counting the SWAP Force.

''Guys! There's a flippin' waterfall! You've got to see it!''

''Really?!'' Wash Buckler was the first one to speak up, instantly excited. ''Wait...'' He knew Freeze Blade, and the Frost Feline was known amongst Camo and Zap for pranking. But, this time, Freeze Blade wasn't lying.

Trap Shadow's ears twitched intently; his ears didn't tell tales. The cat nodded towards Wash Buckler, ''I hea-'' Wash Buckler hastily sped off, his suction cups audibly clicking from the rush.

''YES!'' Wash Buckler was certainly overjoyed, his exclaim making the rest of the Swappers flinch simultaneously.

* * *

Free Ranger nipped at a juicy mango, his plume sparking at its taste. He carefully pecked at its succulent flesh, almost as if he hadn't wanted to damage it. A Storm Chicken's beak was surprisingly quite sharp, with an expert tongue that acted kind of like a finger, plucking small amounts of food at a time. Their beaks were great at digging into the soft soil and earth, removing worms from underneath. Free Ranger, though, liked chicken feed and seeds more than grubs.

''You're doing it wrong.'' Rubble Rouser grumbled.

'''How else am I supposed to set this up?!'' Grilla Drilla exclaimed.

The two, and a few others, were setting up the tent, but it appeared as if they hadn't been making much progress. Magna Charge was busy rereading, and rereading over and over again, the map, Wash Buckler and Spy Rise with him. Tessa hadn't left them much to work with, just a good luck message and some red circles on locations. Alas, it was better than nothing. Otherwise, they would be following Wash Buckler, who really had no sense of direction, even though he was a pirate. Mermasquids were supposedly quite intelligent, but Wash Buckler just didn't reveal that side of him for some reason. Magna Charge, too, had suffered from the same conflict. Although the most informed out of the team, the Ultron was rather oblivious and somewhat...gullible. They all had their flaws. But, Trap Shadow liked to believe that he was absolutely perfect and virtually the best on the team. Which frankly, to Free Ranger, were only bluffs, for Trap Shadow was easily distracted by silly 'red dots', feathers, and the quietest, minuscule snap of twig. ''I caught it!'' The said cat had arrived, holding a little, trembling Dragonbunny by its ears.

''Gotcha!'' Stink Bomb had, rather randomly, appeared right next to Trap Shadow, quickly yet carefully snatching the prey out of the predator's claws.

''Hey!'' Trap Shadow shouted, immediately baring his teeth.

''I'm calling this little guy...Cuddles.'' Stink Bomb nuzzled the bunny, lovingly.

''And I'm calling it...Meat.'' Trap Shadow licked his chops, smirking.

''Oh stop it, you're scaring him. Stink Bomb...not the bunny. And that never turns out well.'' Spy Rise commented.

Trap Shadow crossed his arms, ''He started it!''

''Did not!''

''Did too!''

Free Ranger shook his head, softly squawking in mirth. Would they ever learn? They were starting to get like Night Shift and Freeze Blade, but not as worse. Definitely not as worse...Stink Bomb stuck his tongue out and spluttered a raspberry at the snarling Trap Shadow.

''Grrr...You _annoy_ me, I hope you know that...'' Trap Shadow growled. Stink Bomb didn't really know how to growl, so instead, he ruffled his tail up, covering the Dragonbunny's eyes.

''Dudes, whoahoho, break it up.'' Wash Buckler eventually interfered, stepping in between the two. Stink Bomb promptly followed orders, stepping back a bit, lowering his poised tail.

''Trap Shadow.'' Wash Buckler turned to the aggressive cat. Trap Shadow cut his growling short, but still gave the shivering Dragonbunny voracious looks.

''What happened to being peaceful, Flower?'' Wash Buckler glanced at Stink Bomb, smiling. Flower, it was just another one of Stink Bomb's countless nicknames, all relating to his stench and only his stench.

''Yeah, what happened to peaceful?'' Trap Shadow asked. ''You were about to spray me...''

''But I didn't.''

''You almost did.''

''No.''

''You were preparing to...''

It was like talking to irate siblings, exactly like Breeze and Bella all over again.

''We're going to need a few...things. Stink Bomb, why don't you go foraging?'' Wash Buckler said.

''Great idea!'' Stink Bomb perked up.

''With Trap Shadow.'' Wash Buckler added. Trap Shadow flinched, tensing up. Stink Bomb was beaming smugly at the feline, snickering. What? What?! Trap Shadow didn't forage; that was for giddy, little wimps. Hunting, on the other hand, wasn't for babies. Stink Bomb hadn't seemed bothered that they were going to be working together, bouncing his tail up and down, happily.

''Oh no, no, no, no, no, no. You are not going to make me go picking _pretty, little flowers_ with...with fartist.''

''Hey! I resent that!''

Wash Buckler patted Trap Shadow on the shoulder, ''It'll be a lot easier. Just promise me you won't kill him, kay?''

''I make no promises.''

Stink Bomb chuckled. ''C'mon, tiger.''

Now, in the midst of foraging, Trap Shadow started to mutter to himself. ''We could have eaten that Dragonbunny...'' Trap Shadow grumbled, trudging beside Stink Bomb.

The Swampskunk grimaced at the idea. ''It was a helpless creature. And it was really, really adorable...''

''Heh, says the one who eats_ helpless_ bugs.'' Trap Shadow responded. As if on cue, Stink Bomb flinched, alarmed by a buzzing. His tail twitched, completely alerted, standing up straight.

''Oh great...'' Trap Shadow rolled his eyes.

''Did you hear that?''

''Is that a trick question?'' Trap Shadow shook his head, incredulously.

Stink Bomb started to swivel his head. ''Where is it?!''

''Stink Bomb, you're getting distracted.'' Trap Shadow warned.

''B-but...'' Stink Bomb murmured.

''Stink Bomb.''

''Please?''

''No.''

''Please?!'' Stink Bomb pleaded, yanking Trap Shadow by his bandana. Trap Shadow blinked in bewilderment. Stink Bomb broadened his eyes and quivered his lip, drooping his tail. Trap Shadow raised a brow. Stink Bomb continued to stare, frowning.

''Y-you're kind of freaking me out. I know this is going to backfire somehow, but, okay...?''

Stink Bomb scurried away, laughing. Trap Shadow watched him fade into the distance. And soon enough, the plan did backfire. Trap Shadow tapped his foot impatiently on the ground. What was taking so long?! Trap Shadow tasted the air, parting his jaws slightly. He sniffed deeply, but promptly recoiled at the scent. Stink Bomb wasn't far away. In fact, Trap Shadow could even tell that the skunk had sprayed recently, making the cat wrinkle his snout. Trap Shadow's hunting nose was definitely helpful and it was extremely sensitive to different scents. From being around Stink Bomb for so long, he knew that a Swampskunk's weapon could be varied with its emotions. No one else could really tell the difference though. That was just because their noses weren't as superior as Trap Shadow's. The smell was indeed out of fear. Stink Bomb must've been frightened, not that that was surprisingly.

But there was another scent that had mixing with Stink Bomb's musky odor. Trap Shadow's fur rose. It wasn't the scent of any other teammate. It wasn't thick and gamey like any prey.

They weren't alone.

Trap Shadow decided to follow the two, conjoining smells, before halting in his tracks at the sight of Stink Bomb stuffed inside a net, dangling from a low tree, in a deep, snoring slumber. He couldn't have gotten himself in there, right? Why would anyone sleep in a dingy net? There had to be another hunter here, there just had to. Trap Shadow hastily sliced through the net with the quick swipe of his claws.

Stink Bomb fell onto the grass with a surprised yelp, ''Don't kill me! Don't kill me! Don't kill-'' Trap Shadow shut him up, placing a finger onto the skunk's mouth. He analyzed Stink Bomb, his head going up and down as if he was slowly nodding. Stink Bomb trembled. His tail fidgeted with occasional jets of fetid gas.

''It's me. You know, Trap Shadow, I'm your friend.'' Trap Shadow whispered.

''Trap Shadow!'' Stink Bomb exclaimed.

''Sssshhhushh! Be quiet, we're being watched...''

''I know! Behind you!''

Trap Shadow whirled around, flexing his claws. Jabb stood before him. Trap Shadow promptly hissed, rounding on him.

Jabb hadn't seemed fazed. ''I believe the skunk belongs to me.''

''No, I believe that you've got it all wrong.'' Trap Shadow retorted.

Jabb crossed his arms, his tail moving to and fro in a calculating way. He rubbed his chin, ''Hmmm...''

''You want to fight me over a skunk?'' Trap Shadow asked.

''Why not?''

''This is a Swampskunk we're talking about here. And you really, really don't want this one. He's green, which means he's smellier than any skunk.'' Trap Shadow started to count on his paws.

''Really smelly!'' Stink Bomb joined along.

''He's flatulent.'' Trap Shadow said.

''Really, really gassy!'' Stink Bomb shouted.

''And he's ugly.'' Trap Shadow finished.

''Really ug-hey! Rude...''

Jabb chortled. ''And? I care why? Oh, you're clever, I'll give you that. But you're certainly not the cleverest. I'm here to trap Skylandahs, not hunt. And all Swampskunks are the same, even the lassies. Although, the Swampskunk's tail would look nice draped around me. Or a fur rug for the hut...But never mind the smelly, flatulent, ugly mustelid. Those sabers of yours look mighty fine...You are also a huntah, am I correct?''

''Hunter. Not huntahhh.'' Trap Shadow began to spin a snap trap, angrily.

''Oooo, so we're fightin' now, huh? This'll be fun.'' He rose his claws, balling them into fists. ''Always wanted ta tussle with a Skylandah.''

''Then I guess it's your lucky...**DAY!**'' Trap Shadow lunged, but grabbed nothing but the air around him. ''Huh?'' The hunter swiveled his head. He looked up, and found the cheetah in a tree branch.

''Miss me?'' Jabb asked.

''How...'' Trap Shadow was actually quite confused.

''I'm fast. It's as simple as that, stripes.'' Jabb shrugged. He produced a what had appeared to be an Arkeyan gun, almost out of no where. Jabb aimed it towards Trap Shadow's feet, ''Now, let's see how fast you are.''

''I don't have to be fast.'' Trap Shadow smiled, before disappearing, much to Jabb's surprise. Trap Shadow clambered up the same tree, inching his way to the befuddled cheetah. Unfortunately, Jabb had whirled around before Trap Shadow could strike, pointing his weapon directly at the Skylander's head.

''You're good.'' Trap Shadow said.

''Yes, thanks, I know.'' Jabb replied.

''But we're good-ier.'' Stink Bomb jumped down from the shorter branch above the two and kicked Jabb off, smiling.

''Augh, good-ier? Is that even a word? You were supposed to make it sound cool...'' Trap Shadow grumbled.

''What did you want me to say? Gooder?''

''Better, I wanted you to say better.''

Stink Bomb furrowed his brows.

''You're still mad at that? Oh, c'mon Stinks, I was just kidding. You've got a very turtle-y face. But the other things are true.'' Trap Shadow snickered.

''Was that supposed to be a compliment?'' Stink Bomb asked.

''Let's scram.'' Trap Shadow completely ignored him and vanished without another word. Stink Bomb reluctantly looked down at Jabb, who seemed unconscious. With a brief shrug, he followed after Trap Shadow, concealing himself as well.

Once the coast was clear, Jabb shot his eyes open. ''I_ do_ love playing possum...''

* * *

_To quote Stink Bomb, ''Don't kill me! Don't kill me! Don't kill me!'' I'm not actually shipping Spyro and Ninjini, t'was only in one of the Skylanders books, and I simply referenced it...since it was odd..._


	12. (Befriending) Fiends

_Yeah, NinjinixSpyro is weird even for me, and I love all the ships, even the weird ones. But, um, it's unique! And creative!_

_Vathek was just a first choice, the thought of including him just happened spontaneously. I've just always liked his design, even if he is a bit dimwitted for falling for the oldest trick in the book. Why yes, I did just reference TMNT. I don't know, Stink Bomb's always looked like a hero in a half shell to me. Hey, don't you hurt those wittle, blubbery things! They look all pudgy...Cuties._

ATTENTION:

_**PoochxStink skunk n' poodle bonding time**...Seriously, it's everywhere this time...so...That back button's available. Click it, it's waiting. It wants your love, Reader. Otherwise, let the conversations between **Canon-mustelid and OC-canid** begin! _

* * *

The midnight sky draped itself over Tangleroot, sending creatures into a deep slumber, while the nocturnal ones were still out and about.

The Swappers were all tuckered out, the majority of them curled up on the jungle floor, while Hoot Loop and Night Shift were on tree branches, and Blast Zone hovered and Magna Charge stood. Sadly, their tent kept falling down; it was just too flimsy. But that hadn't kept them from getting to sleep, nothing would stop them from getting sleep. Hoot Loop kept fluttering his eyes open though. He was in the midst of reading The Cardmaster's book, trying to keep himself awake, although frequently nodding out. One side of him didn't want to sleep...Perhaps it was because someone was watching him. He rotated his head just in case, but no intruders were found. Hoot Loop swiveled his head back around, blinking. A campfire burned in the middle of their rest area. Stink Bomb had his blanket, which he tried to hide, although everyone knew about it. It was placed between his paws, and he was cuddling up next to it, like some sort of sleepy puppy. He often kicked in his slumber, most likely due to all of his training. But, he was separated away from the others, and away from the fire...Thankfully. Or else _fire_ would fight with actual fire. Rattle Shake was closest to the flames. Tangleroot had gotten brisk at night and due to his coldblood, he certainly needed to be near it. He had made sure he was close to Blast Zone, as well.

Hoot Loop looked back down at his book, eyes setting onto his last point. He'd been learning so much about The Cardmaster's life. He had left ragged notes stuffed inside the book, which Hoot Loop had been the most intrigued in. It was all about past events, some even about the Seadog's childhood. The Cardmaster traveled with a circus, just like Hoot Loop. The Cardmaster wowed them with extraordinary tricks, just like Hoot Loop. And The Cardmaster, of course, was magical, just like Hoot Loop. Sure, The Cardmaster was a cruel, vicious fiend, and Hoot Loop was the complete opposite, but maybe, just maybe, they weren't all that different.

The owl chose a note and began to read once more:

_I'm troubled. Master Eon's been telling me that Ail, my newest, best friend, is no good. I don't exactly understand what he means by that. She can't be all that bad, could she? She's just like me; we both have magic...and she's a Seadog, too! I don't have any idea about how I gained my powers, nor do my parents. Master Eon says it's not something to be afraid of, even though I can't deny that I have outbreaks here and there. But so does Ail; she's the crankiest she-beard I've ever met. She's all alone, an orphan. I can't help but feel bad for her. Ail's a few years older than me, and calls me 'kid' a lot. But I don't mind. I'm becoming fond of her and she's becoming fond of me. And...I kind of like her. Like like. I tried giving her a flower once, but she just tore it up, and for some reason, devoured it. But, she was pleased anyway...Ail is very, very pretty. With her soft, snowy white fur, and her fluffy ears and tail, and her beautiful amber eyes...I sneak out to meet her, my parents don't need to know about her, or that she's evil._

Master Eon never told them about his Seadog apprentice. Wasn't Hugo his apprentice, anyway? The Cardmaster wasn't that old; he wasn't as old as the Giants, and he wasn't as old as the SWAP Force either. The papers in the book didn't seem that worn down, as well. Was The Cardmaster being mentored during the time Core Skylanders were united? Or was he taught by a floating head? From what he had read, The Cardmaster was only a mere pup when he first learned about his magic. So, Master Eon must've taught him around that time. Hoot Loop's thinking was making his mind hurt, so he moved onto different matters. He knew about Ail from all of the tales several Skylanders told. She was a manipulative witch that lived on an isolated, creepy Skyland. But that, unfortunately, had been really all that he knew about her. He decided to move onto a different paper, cocking his head with a little hoot. This sheet was a list with all of their names on it, including small descriptions under them. Hoot Loop skimmed through:

_Wash Buckler:_

_-From what I can tell, he's the leader. Hah! Idiocy apparently gets you to high ranks when you're a filthy Skylander. A pirate who's good is no pirate at all. Now, he's just a Mermasquid in a pirate costume. I remember his crew. I met them one day and I tried to persuade them into joining the Esper. Of course, like the brainwashed dolts they are, the good pirates declined. Wash Buckler's not a pirate, no matter how many times he proclaims he is. A pirate would never turn down treasure and riches and the glory of plundering and pillaging. It's revolting just to think about it. _

_Rubble Rouser:_

_-He's just a rock, a living, breathing rock. That sounds like dark magic to me. Unfortunately, it's not. Because he's a Skylander! A good-natured, heroic, always-ruining-things-for-everyone Skylander! Rubble Rouser, if he was evil, would be a great addition to the Esper. Or at least, that astounding weapon of his. I'll have to ask the Trio if they could steal it for me, since they're so amazed by Skylanders._

_Rattle Shake:_

_-Such a great tracker, ruined by Master Eon. He could've been an outlaw if he tried, an outlaw that would help me on my quests. He's stopped us in our tracks multiple times. And he always wins. Auugh, they always have to try to be heroes...If only I had killed Master Eon, then done of this would be happening. Perhaps putting a curse on that slithery Skylander would do the world a favor. He needs to act like a real snake! Most of the snakes I've seen are sly and manipulative, while Rattle Shake's out there helping people! _

_Stink Bomb:_

_-Filthy Skylander, indeed. Since I'm a Seadog, and I have a strong-sensing nose, being sprayed is worse than being bitten by Snappers over and over again. Especially when it's directed at my damn snout! Seriously! It's painful! Excruciatingly painful! I digress...He was taught under one of the greatest ninjutsu masters ever, and is still afraid of various things. It's quite funny to watch him run away in fear. I know all of his weaknesses already. But it's extremely difficult to use them when you're standing **downwind! **He's a ninja, and quite frankly, he's surprisingly good at being one. Funny, I thought would be able to smell him lurking behind, but it's apparently not that easy. With those pointed, starry things of his, he'd make a good assassin. I'm not sure I'd want him aboard the Esper, though. He's probably excellent at clearing rooms, but-_

The next text was scribbled oddly...In pink:

_-No, no, no, Stink Bomb's lovely! All Skylanders are lovely. Cards is just mad 'cause he's not as-_

The Cardmaster must've erased everything else; a dark, black line crossed through the rest of the pink writing. Hoot Loop looked up from the messages, hearing the raucous crunching of leaves and the crack of a stick. Immediately, everyone jolted up, ready to fight, staring at the intruder.

Jabb was caught red-handed. Unusually, he was carrying a satchel, it distended by its items. '' 'Ello friends! Um...Having a good night? How's your night been, hm?''

''That's him.'' Trap Shadow growled.

''Who's him? I-I'm certainly not him, whoever he is? I'm just a wee, lonely loner, that's all. Just lookin' for some friendly, travel buddies.''

The Swappers, luckily, weren't buying it. They raised their weapons without words. Jabb flinched, putting his paws up in attempt of protecting himself. Although, paws wouldn't do much against the attacks from all of them...At once. ''I'm not here to harm anyone, really! I just want t'tag_ aloong_...'' Jabb whined. ''I'm not the bad guy here...'' he shook his head.

''Why were you sneakin' up on us then?'' Grilla Drilla asked.

''This should be fun.'' Night Shift smirked, pounding his boxing gloves together, gaining a frightened grimace the cheetah. The Skylanders awaited for a good answer, and Jabb was busy trying to come up with an excuse.

''This should take a while.'' Free Ranger added.

Finally, Jabb raised a finger, gesturing that he had an idea. ''I tracked you.''

''Stalker...'' Freeze Blade whispered, snickering to himself.

''You see, I'mma huntah, totally different from a stalkah, and tracking things is what I practically do for a livin'. I thought-'' Jabb began.

''How'd you get past the barrier?'' Fire Kraken asked.

''What barrier? You mean those weird traps? Wasn't easy, but that's an entirely different story for an entirely different time. Also, there's a lovely lil' thing called a bandana, covers me nostrils. Heh, anywho, as I was saying, I thought that I could track yas down. 'Fraid, um, a few things of mine were stolen, by that menace called The Cardmastah. Yes, sadly, I do work for him, but that's not saying much, he's a total ruffian. And he hates cats! See, we can relate, um, you...Two. Well that's two out of...Nevah mind. But there are these three hotties, all fluffy, and pretty, and sweet, and noxiously drenched in perfume, and-''

''Could you just get on with it?!'' Spy Rise rubbed his eyes. ''It's the middle of the night...''

''Ooo, tough crowd...The point is, besides that I'm lonely, that I can help you. Skylandahs like you need a fast, cunning cheetah like me. Oh, and not to mention, I know all about The Cardmaster. And I'm a survivalist. At the moment, you...s-sixteen don't know how to survive. New to Tangleroot, I presume. You won't survive another day out here without me. There's plenty of monstahs here. Big, carnivorous plants that can gobble ya up in one bite, beastly, giant birds, huge creepy-crawlers, territorial Greebles, bloodsucking wormy things that can make youse go insane! Heh, you'll be nothin' but a pile of bones when they're done with ya.'' Jabb finally finished, smugly throwing his tail from side to side. The Swappers didn't seem fazed, with the exception of Stink Bomb, who grimaced at the cheetah's talk of creatures.

''Ever faced a Fire Viper?'' Rattle Shake questioned.

''No-''

''Then I'm sure we can handle a few animals.''

''B-but you don't know you're way around Tangleroot!''

''_Pssh_, we can find our way. Magna Charge's a living GPS. No map, or cheetah, needed.'' Wash Buckler waved a hand.

Jabb flattened his ears back, ''I-I just wanna help...I'm only goin' t'tag along for a little while...''

Like usual, the Swappers went into a group huddle, having a quiet discussion. But, it was unusually short. ''No.'' they all said, before retreating back into their sleeping positions.

''But-''

They uttered loud, tremendously, fake snores, surprisingly, nearly scaring the spots off of Jabb. The cheetah blinked. He decided to whisper, ''Are you awake?''

''No.'' The Skylanders repeated.

''Hm, you're all organized. I like that. It's like a camping trip, just more fun...fun-ner. Campin' with Skylandahs, cool. Uhm, I'll just...I'll just...Stay out here. In the cold. With no fire. And no friends...'' Jabb's voice trailed away. ''Ready to be eaten by hellish animals. Brutally killed, blood and guts everywhere. Dragged away as I'm screaming bloody murder. Tortured! Stabbed, gutted, jabbed! And have me whiskers ripped off by vicious claws!''

Stink Bomb decided that he had enough of the nightmarish ideas. He shifted, opening one eye up to look at Jabb. Stink Bomb moved his bushy tail, leaving an area for Jabb to lay. The cheetah smiled, ''See! This skunk knows mannahs. And to think, I tried to capture you. Sincere apologies...Uh...''

''Stink Bomb.''

''Hah, yes, Stink Bomb. Crikey, w-who names you guys? I can see why they call ya that, though.'' Jabb then lay next to Stink Bomb. Although, it probably wasn't the safest idea to sleep next to a rank skunk, Jabb finally got what he asked for.

In the morning, Jabb was barking orders at them. ''Step lively, Skylandahs!'' The cheetah was, temporarily, in the lead, practically strutting in enjoyment. Surprisingly, the Skylanders were gradually, very gradually, starting to warm up to him. He liked to boast a lot, telling them about all the times he's wrangled creatures of all different sizes, or about the time he killed a Gargantula with only his claws. Of course, no one believed it, well, with the exception of Trap Shadow. He'd been listening intently to all of his stories like an excited kit. It was as if Trap Shadow had forgotten that Jabb was a total stranger and all about their tussle. Jabb was indeed clever, often pointing out several species that crossed their path and if they were dangerous or not, telling the Skylanders what was edible and what wasn't, and all-around being what he promised to be: a living, survival guide. But he was chatty, very, very chatty. He never seemed to shut up about anything. His voice was odd; it was a complete mixture of various accents all put into one, single cheetah.

''Where are we even going?'' Rubble Rouser grumbled. Today, the Swappers had a literal rude awakening. Somehow, some sneaky Greebles stole the food that they had brought along from the Mainland, leaving none behind. Now, their guts had practically turned into an orchestra, all playing together. Rubble Rouser was definitely facing the worst of it. Being a golem that spend years and years eating mountains, he wasn't going at least one day without food.

''We're just having a little, nature stroll, my rocky friend. Just trying to get you used to the environment.'' Jabb replied.

''You have to be leading us somewhere...'' Wash Buckler remarked.

''Hmm, maybe I am, maybe I'm not.''

The cheetah was always so secretive about things. He'd talk about something, get asked one question, and completely try to avert it. Jabb inhaled and exhaled, ''Don't you just love Tangleroot? So majestic and peaceful...''

''I do have to agree with that.'' Grilla Drilla nodded.

''Still terribly dangerous, though...'' Jabb added. ''But beautiful.'' He glanced at his surroundings. ''Oh look, paralyzers plants! Ah, that's good, they're blossomin'.'' Jabb pointed to the bright, yellow flowers on the bushes. ''You wouldn't want to touch 'em beauts...''

''Why not?'' Spy Rise asked.

''Ooo, I think you've met these pretties already, I like to call 'em Gnawahs.'' Jabb, again, ignored the Skylander's query, flicking his tail towards the giant, toothy, carnivorous plants that snapped as they went by. ''You know, since Snappahs was already taken.''

''What's a Snap-'' Doom Stone began.

''Bunnies! Dragonbunnies!'' Jabb exclaimed. ''Aww, aren't they just **too** precious? Say, they look a bit like your purple dragon friend...What was his name again? Sparrow?''

''Snappers are bunnies?'' Fire Kraken questioned, bewildered.

''What?! No, no, no. Snappahs are long, leech-y thingies with serrated, venomous teeth. Poison takes over the host, makes 'em all bonkahs, you know. Freeze Blade here, is a perfect specimen of a bitten host.''

''Wait, what do you mean by _perfect specimen_?'' Free Ranger tilted his head. Sure, Freeze Blade had been acting a little loopy for some reason, but that wasn't that strange, right? At the moment, he was being helped by Magna Charge and Stink Bomb, since the Frost Feline seemed to be on the verge of fainting. The Swappers hadn't thought much of it, believing that maybe Tangleroot's heat was getting to him.

''Perfect specimen, perfect specimen. Scooch over Ultron, and look at this, mates.'' Jabb politely shooed Magna Charge away, grabbing the Freeze Blade's arm. Jabb raised it up, revealing a bunch of puncture wounds in Freeze Blade's skin. It looked fairly new, gory. Freeze Blade groggily blinked, barely even noticing anything around him.

Jabb shook his head. ''_Tsk tsk_. I saw his bite marks last night. Can't believe none of you noticed it...'' He looked at the blank-faced Skylander, snickering. ''What the 'ell happened to you, Freeze?''

''I'm...a pretty...princess...'' Freeze Blade slurred.

''See, crazy, insane, kooky, nutty, heh, I can keep goin' on.''

''Whoaah...Why do you have six fingers? Why don't I have six fingers? I want six fingers...I want...'' Freeze Blade gazed at Stink Bomb. ''Why don't I...''

Wash Buckler turned to Jabb. ''Soo, let me get this straight, you knew that Freeze Blade was bitten by a dangerous, snappy thingy, and you never told us?''

''You never asked.'' Jabb said. ''You silly cephalopod, you. Freeze Blade's goin' t'be already, he's just gonna be a little, er, ditzy for a while. Say, a few of you should stay back at camp with Freeze Blade, that's a good idea, right? Cap'n?'' He looked towards the Mermasquid.

''That could w-''

''Great!''

Now, with their team dwindled, Wash Buckler, Magna Charge, Rattle Shake, Fire Kraken(only because he pleaded), Boom Jet, Grilla Drilla, Stink Bomb, Doom Stone, Hoot Loop, and Jabb continued to their destination that, according to the cheetah, was a_ surprise_. Rain had started to pour down on them. Grilla Drilla shook off, droplets shaking off of his pelt. He grunted, flaring his nostrils as he trudged along on his knuckles after the others. The Drilla pawed at the ground, kneading the wet mud beneath him.

''Are we there yet?'' Magna Charge asked.

''Almost, almost.'' Jabb replied. They had taken only a few more steps when Jabb raised his paw, halting them. ''Hark!'' His ears jerked around, flicking intently.

''What?'' Hoot Loop whispered. Jabb pointed his tail forward. The Swappers were put into a single file line, so they had to peek over Jabb. In the distance, a shabby, serene, little town resided. Seadogs casually walked around. The town was bustling with chatter, but all of the clamors had been leading to someplace else. It looked as if a lot of its inhabitants were in a saloon. A black flag wavered about from the building's side. A red spade-shaped printing was on it, giving off a malicious vibe.

''That's what.'' Jabb murmured. ''Lookee there.'' he directed a paw towards two, stout Seadogs that stood outside of the bar. ''Bouncahs. That one on the left is Snarl, and the one on the right is Growl. Heheh, and I was jokin' about your Skylandah names. Anyway, they're oafs, but hotheaded and brawny. I know them, but you don't know them. Sooo...'' He finally opened up his satchel and The Swappers crowded around him. Jabb reached into the bag, pulling out several costumes and accessories in one paw. ''You're going to need these. The Cardmastah's in there, and who knows, maybe he won't recognize you. I doubt it, but it's worth a try!''

''Pirate costumes?'' The Swappers questioned.

''Yep! Skylandahs are enemies 'round here. If you wear these, you'll blend in. Less attention brought onto yas.''

''No.''

''But-''

''Thanks, but no thanks. Since you know those dudes, and it was your idea to bring us here, you'll just have to convince them.'' Wash Buckler walked past the cheetah, and the others instantly followed him.

Jabb certainly wasn't the leader anymore. He stammered, ''A-a-abandon all hope ye, who enter...t-t-that bar! W-without pirate costumes!''

''Well, they're nice disguises, but we just don't need them.'' Stink Bomb responded.

Jabb hastened his pace. ''Fine, no disguises.'' he grumbled. ''Like I said, I'll convince them.''

''Actually, I said-'' Wash Buckler began.

''Hey! Snarl! Growl!'' Jabb was already walking away, waving. The Swappers, after exchanging a few glances, followed after the cheetah. Snarl and Growl both bared their fangs for intimation at their arrival.

''Whut d'you want?'' Snarl leaned forward, glowering at Jabb.

''What? What do we want? Well, we obviously want to get inside the bar. You silly, silly Seadog, why else would be here?'' Jabb poked at Snarl's snout, tauntingly.

Snarl pulled away, snapping at the cheetah. He darted his eyes towards his brother, Growl. The other Seadog was staring at the Swappers, tilting his head at the colorful figures. He turned to Snarl, who was starting to tilt his head as well. Growl looked at Jabb, ''Those your friends?''

''Who else would they be?'' Jabb snorted.

''They look...familiar.''

''Oh, I assure you, you've never seen them before. Now, can we proceed into the very place you are guardin' or do we have to dilly-dally out here for days?''

Snarl's hackles raised in indignation, but he stepped aside along with his brother, flexing his claws. ''Go.''

''I take my hat off to you...But I don't have one so that doesn't make sense does it? Hah! Come on_ friends_, you're gonna miss out on all the fun.'' Jabb then led the way inside, pushing back the saloon doors, happily. The Swappers followed him, although being daunted by Snarl and Growl's vicious stares. Inside the bar, it was loud, all of pirates chatting and clamoring.

''So many pirates...'' Magna Charge said, scanning the room. There were indeed many pirates. The majority of them were Seadogs, but there were a few Squidfaces thrown into the mix. Round, wooden tables settled on the floorboard, bordered by large groups of pirates that sat in the chairs.

''C'mon.'' Jabb gestured to his group, pointing a dagger at the counter in the back. There were stools surrounding it, patched up cushions on the top of the tall seats. A Seadog was working behind the counter, lazily cleaning it with a sponge. He sported a long, fleshy gash across the bridge of his muzzle. Jabb looked back at the Swappers, who weren't exactly doing a good job of blending it. They were just standing around, aimlessly.

''Scarsnout not gonna bite you. Come over here, gang!'' Jabb called. Hesitantly, the group went over to sit with Jabb.

''Jabb, haven't seen you in a while...'' Scarsnout said.

As Jabb started a conversation with the Seadog, Stink Bomb glanced around the room. Crowds. He wasn't very fond of them, for they had led to many mishaps when he was a kit. But it wasn't as terrifying as he expected it to be. And yet, the skunk still felt uncomfortable. This wasn't a good idea; he could feel it in his fur. He sighed, resting his head onto his paw. He continued to observe the bar. Stuffed animal heads hung from the wall, making him jump a bit. Googly eyes had been shoved into their sockets. Pink glitter had been sprinkled upon the various animals heads. He even spotted a few stickers on some their noses. Frankly, that didn't seem very pirate-like at all. In fact, he'd noticed that there had been a lot of sparkles glimmering upon the floor when setting foot in the building.

Even the seat to the right of him there had been shiny décor. He blinked in utter bewilderment. Abruptly, a rather flowery scent wafted around his nostrils. It certainly wasn't him, that's for sure, nor any of his teammates, or even the many pirates among him.

He soon realized that the culprit had lurking among him all along.

A tall, think female seadog was twiddling her legs that dangled down from the seat, giggling. Her eyes were a gentle shade of blue. Unlike the other Seadogs, her ears were all puffy, curls of white fluff looking like miniature sheep living on them. Even her tail had a blob of fluff on it. Her belt was pierced with white teeth, all diverse in size. Some glitter was still left on her paws. The Seapoodle was quaint, an oddball of sorts but still good-looking. Stink Bomb promptly jolted back in surprise. When did she get here?! The Seapoodle fluttered her long eyelashes at the skunk, smiling with glee. Her perfume was heavy, it almost overwhelming Stink Bomb's stench. The scent was very fragrant.

It had reminded Stink Bomb of a calm, soothing meadow with filled with flowers, making him calm down at little. He wasn't sure if he should talk to her, since anyone could be an enemy. But her grin, that adorable little grin of hers, unwillingly made him speak. ''Um, hi..." he hesitantly waved. The Seapoodle sniffed, leaning in closer to the skunk. Now, Stink Bomb was even more confused. The canine continued to snuffle, wiggling her nose. No one normally got his close to a skunk. It was as if she was amazed by something. She tilted her head. Wait...Something about this seemed familiar...He knew that scent.

''Nice cologne!'' the fluffy dog praised. Cologne? Was that another word for musk in pirate-talk? Why would any sane person compliment that? Why would any sane person...? ''Wait. Your scent, it reminds me of...'' the Seapoodle's voice trailed away. She quickly whirled back around, grabbing Stink Bomb's paw, analyzing it gingerly. Stink Bomb let her, but he could not help trembling slightly. For he was in the presence of the rare, female pirate. She pressed her paws against Stink Bomb's palm, separating his fingers and observing them, wriggling them. Her gaze was then set upon Stink Bomb's bushy tail, which she proceeded to stroke, much to his liking. Unfortunately, she stopped. ''You are Stink Bomb.'' the Seapoodle grinned.

''You are Poochie.''

Poochie cocked her head to a side. ''How can I be so sure? You could be some sort of imposter.'' The Seapoodle abruptly showed her teeth, softly growling. She started to interrogate him, ''Clear the...''

''Air.''

That was apparently enough. Her face showed pure happiness. ''Hug!'' Poochie had practically almost leapt on him, yipping with delight. Stink Bomb, after a few moments, reluctantly brushed a claw through her fur.

''I missed you!'' Poochie briskly licked the side of his face. Stink Bomb hadn't even noticed until she pulled away. His fur prickled from shock. What was-

''Another hug!'' the Seapoodle pounced again. After a few moments, she decided to lick him again, three times this time. Stink Bomb could faintly hear her saying 'wuv' over and over again, her muzzle nuzzling into his fur. So, this was what _wuv_ was? It was weird...and awkward. Was that something all Seadogs did? Was that some sort of welcoming thing?

''Uhm...I missed you too.'' Stink Bomb reluctantly patted her poofy hair.

Poochie's tail waggled, her ears perking up, and her tongue lolled out. ''Play?'' Play? This Seadog terminology was getting too difficult. Stink Bomb turned around towards Magna Charge. An Ultron was filled with information, surely he knew more about this. He was already behind him, intrigued in the conversation.

''Play?'' Stink Bomb whispered.

''Heheh...''

''What? What does it mean?''

''A courtship tradition amongst Seadogs, of course. It's a sign of affection.''

''Courtship?''

''Yep.''

''Like romance?''

''Court. Ship. Males try to impress the females, you know, courtship. Freeze Blade tries to do it all the time.''

Stink Bomb blinked. He wasn't entirely sure he was ready to 'play'. He wasn't even entirely sure how to play. Flirting definitely wasn't one of his talents. He was a skunk, anyway. Did he have to practice to play?

''Play...?'' Poochie asked. Stink Bomb glanced back over to Magna Charge, who was smiling the best an Ultron could, even though it just looked weird. Fire Kraken, on the other hand, was laughing.

''Play doesn't mean courtship, does it?'' Stink Bomb grimaced.

''Nope!'' Fire Kraken grinned.

Poochie squeaked, ''Skylanders! Hi! Where are the others?! Oh, who cares, there are Sky-'' Stink Bomb placed his paw onto Poochie's snout.

''Is this a game?'' Poochie whispered. ''Are we playing? Are we? What's this game called? Wait, wait, wait, did you just One-Inch Palm me? Gently? Sooo cool...''

''Sshhh...'' Stink Bomb hushed. He slowly removed his paw, cautiously looking around for potential threats.

Poochie sniffled, scrunching her face up. ''Phew! Wow, those Cyclopes were right. That was nauseating...Can you teach me?! Sensei Stink Bomb?''

''Well, since you ask-''

She grabbed the skunk's hand, stood up, and started to pad away. Stink Bomb, as he was being practically dragged away, looked at Magna Charge and Fire Kraken. The Ultron's pupil turned into a heart, followed by static, and classic, romantic music.

''Awww...'' Fire Kraken said, putting his hands together. ''Lovebirds!''

* * *

''Where are we going?''

''My secret hideout.''

Stink Bomb and Poochie were in an eerie section of the bar. Even though it might've looked small on the outside, the building had another floor. The two were venturing off into the shadier side of the bar. Spider webs hung off of some of the glowing, flickering lanterns on the wall. The picture frames accompanied with them were crooked, cracked ever so slightly. Stink Bomb flinched at Poochie's sudden touch.

A girl, a pretty girl at that, was actually holding his hand. Yes, she had grabbed it before, but now she was clearly enjoying it, virtually squeezing his paw. But it hadn't felt bad, in fact, it was the complete opposite. Stink Bomb was still scared, though, absolutely petrified. Poochie smiled gleefully to herself, peeling back the sharpened blades Seadogs called 'teeth'. What if this was all a trap? Everyone allied with The Cardmaster had to be a villain, right? He wasn't quite sure. The only threatening things about Poochie were her fangs and her odd belt, and both of them had been outnumbered by her soft paws, fluffy, white pelt, and her beautiful, baby blue eyes. Not to mention her tinkly, little giggle. Poochie, abruptly, got closer, now leaning up against Stink Bomb. The skunk tensed up, but her amazingly, comfy fur had made up for it. Why wasn't she recoiling? Why wasn't she gagging? Why wasn't she heaving or something? And why was she staring up at him like that?! If Swampskunks could sweat, he'd certainly be drenched in it. There was a bubbly feeling inside of him, and he could only hope it wasn't gas; that would ruin everything.

Every time Stink Bomb looked as if he was going to pull away, Poochie tightened her grip, uttering the most saddened, heartbreaking noise Stink Bomb had ever heard. She seemed to never want him to leave again. Poochie had a little skip in her step now, that was actually rather adorable. That was it. Poochie most definitely, positively, was not a villain. Stink Bomb couldn't help the smile that rose on his face. Poochie smiled back and began to swing her arm, taking Stink Bomb's with hers. She giggled, ''You're shivering.''

_Am I? _Stink Bomb thought. Frankly, he hadn't even noticed. His fur was on standing on end all of a sudden.

''You scared?'' Poochie grinned.

''N-no...''

Poochie released her grip, staring up at him again. She put her paws onto his shoulders. What was happening? Stink Bomb immediately froze up, tail raising in shock. The Seapoodle continued to gaze deep into Stink Bomb's eyes, not even daring to blink. ''Are you sure?''

''Yes...?'' Stink Bomb wasn't entirely sure how to react. He was up against the wall, cornered by a sweet-smelling Seapoodle, in a pirate bar.

''You sure you're sure?'' Poochie was now whispering. She pressed her muzzle up against his, a foxy, little smirk planted on her face.

''...yes..'' Stink Bomb's voice was even quieter than hers. He tried to stifle his blushing, much to Poochie's amusement. Stink Bomb's eyes veered away, finding that a few pirates were actually watching them. He hadn't even known that there were people upstairs. Vanishing seemed like a good idea at the moment. Poochie seemed just as surprised as Stink Bomb was.

''Awww, ain't dat cute...'' a Squidface said. The others unanimously commented in mirth, making _lovey-dovey_ faces.

Poochie promptly backed away, but still grasped Stink Bomb's paw, ''Follow me.'' The Seapoodle was a little faster now. She soon halted at a door, beaming. ''You knock.''

''Why?''

''Just 'cause.''

Stink Bomb glanced at her, bewildered. ''W-''

''Pwease?''

Stink Bomb bit his lip, but eventually knocked.

''_Eeeeeeeeeee!_'' Poochie squealed. In a murmur, she added, ''You just knocked our secret door...A Skylander just knocked our secret door!''

And with that, the door slung open. Cookie stood, analyzing Stink Bomb, intrigued. Candy peeked over her the tall Seapoodle's shoulder, standing on her tippy toes. Cookie whistled in amazement, studying the Swampskunk. ''Wowwee...'' she awed. ''Hello, uh, hi, Stink Bomb. Real nice to meet a living, breathing Swampskunk. Heh, I'm Cookie.'' She shook Stink Bomb's paw with an exceptionally tight grip, wildly.

''Nice to meet you...too.'' Stink Bomb flexed his crushed paw, managing to smile at her.

''Move, move, move, move, move.'' Candy abruptly shooed Cookie, pushing her aside. The youngest Seapoodle clapped her hands together. ''Awwww, cuties! You _must _be Stink Bomb. Ha! See what I did there? Must! And...you're a skunk. It's a joke...'' Her voice trailed away. After clearing her throat, she added, ''I'm Candy, by the way.'' Candy fluffed out her ears, fixating her glossy fur just for show.

''Glamorous.'' Cookie muttered with the roll of her eyes. ''Come, come, the secret hideout awaits.'' She fled back into the 'secret hideout' with Candy following close behind. Poochie nodded at Stink Bomb, gesturing to the room. Stink Bomb was still cautious about this whole thing. So, he only nodded back at her. Poochie was relentless though, shaking her head, and pointing at the entrance.

Stink Bomb needed a new strategy. ''Ladies first.''

Poochie was surprised at first, but did a cute, little curtsy in response. She strutted in, but only too a few steps, for she was still awaiting for Stink Bomb. Finally, Stink Bomb went in, looking around. For some reason, he expected some red spotlights to flash onto him, or to be ambushed by a bunch of pirates, or have a trap fall down onto him. But there was absolutely nothing. This secret hideout was nearly cleared. The only thing taking up space were bookcases, three beanbags chairs in the middle of the room, makeup supplies next to them, and cupcakes on platters in front of all the supplies.

''The door, Mr. Gentleman.''

''Oh...right.''

Stink Bomb, very slowly, closed the door, glancing back at the Trio. _Wait. Why do they want me to close the door? Well, besides the fact that there's creeps outside_, the skunk thought. He gave the Seapoodles suspicious looks.

''Over here, Fancypants.'' Poochie giggled. What was with the nicknames all of a sudden? She was certainly having fun with them, though. Go over there for what? Stink Bomb looked around again, but eventually padded towards them. Poochie turned to her sisters, and then back to Stink Bomb. They sat down on the chairs, reaching behind their backs. Tessens were in their grasp.

''Teach us, Sensei Stink Bomb.'' Poochie waved the fan in a luring motion.

''Wait, I thought it was Senpai-'' Candy began.

''Heheh, no, it's not.'' Poochie hid her face with the war fan, already embarrassed.

* * *

''Ow, hey, watch it!''

Flashwing swatted at the nearest dragon with a claw. Her back was arched, similar to an enraged Scratch. Today, they found themselves back in the Pit, like usual, but in one of the tunnels. Much to their shock, a dragon by the name of Apep had healed them. Frankly, he had to be the creepiest medic they had ever met. He was an uncanny, pale white. The purple spines on his body often quivered, creating a strange, eerie thrum every time they did. Both of his eyes were milky, for he was blind. Apep was undead, although his white color hadn't really shown that. Some of his skin was missing, replaced with gory, deep gashes, a few even hitting bone. His face was ancient, sunk in to show the very shape of his skull. With his crooked, bottom jaw, his odd knot in his spiked tail, and his raspy voice, he seemed as if he had returned from a drought. But now, recovered, the Skylanders were in midst of suiting up...

For their first challenge.

With some other warriors, they were being dressed up by multiple silver-clad, armored dragons. One particular dragon was really getting on Flashwing's last nerves. She hadn't known his name and she didn't want to; all she knew what that he was exceptionally irritating. Said dragon tightened the straps for Flashwing's torso armor, tugging. ''You're not going to survive out here.'' he mumbled, not even trying to hide the hints of disdain in his voice.

''And what makes you think that? I'm a Skylander! A legendary gem dragon! And a very, very, very fabulous one at that...''

The dragon snorted at Flashwing's reply. He finally released his grip on the straps, making Flashwing flinch. ''You really think you're something, huh?''

''You could say that.''

''Gem dragons are fragile. Sure, they're powerful, but they're still nothing like a real dragon._ You're_ nothing like a real dragon.'' he commented. What was all this _real dragon_ talk about?! She was a real dragon! Fire Kraken was a real dragon!

''Excuse me? If you don't mind me asking, what is a real dragon according to you people?!'' Flashwing asked. But, she was taken by surprise at the helmet that was slammed onto her head. The dragon nodded at her, patting the helmet. Flashwing growled, crystals gleaming in fury.

''She's good.'' the dragon nodded to his companions.

''Ugh, why is this on so tight? I can hardly move!'' Whirlwind was struggling with her armor, trudging over to Flashwing. It hadn't been much compared to Pyralis' armor, but it was enough to protect their vitals...And make them waddle. The two both yelped at the abrupt roar of another of one their favorite dragons: Pyralis.

His armor had been still terribly ruined, more than just scratched. But, his hatred for the two Skylanders had become even stronger. He showed this by throwing his rage onto anyone in his sights. Pyralis snarled at all the dragons among them. He pushed his chest out, scowling. ''It's time.''

Whirlwind drew her ears back and drooped her tail. She had been worried ever since it had been announced. Well, Apep was actually the one who told them, the dragons hadn't even warned them. They were dragged from their beds, which were really just mounds of dirt and sand, and virtually thrown into another tunnel for prepping. The dragons here were rude, that was a fact. The only ones that they could trust were Amethyst, Stubbs, Apep. The others the Skylanders hadn't been to sure about.

''Move!'' Pyralis shouted, instantly making everyone alert. The warriors started after the red dragon, hurriedly. Whirlwind and Flashwing slowly followed them. Everything was a blur. Earlier, they had finally told Voodood their tales back at the Mainland, but after that, they heard talking voices in their heads. Somehow, someway, Vathek was invading their minds, cooing to them. They tried to keep themselves awake, but his voice was just too much. Perhaps he found enjoyment in his treacherous, mind-bending acts.

Pyralis continued to exclaim, angrily. Some dragons watched as they passed by, keeping their mouths shut. There was still no sign of Amethyst, but Stubbs was eagerly trying to look over the shoulders of bigger dragons. Pyralis was leading them into, yet again, another tunnel. Flashwing didn't know what to expect. Even from a distance, they could hear the loud cheers of excited dragons. Pyralis was stalking, grumbling madly to himself. They stopped at a gate, a few dragons even ramming into Pyralis, much to his aggravation.

Without warning, the gates squealed, raising up to let them through.

''Go. Now.'' Pyralis ordered. The dragons stared at him for a while, hesitant.

''Now!'' The red dragon threatened to breath fire, some smog rising from his nostrils, and flames spurting from the corners of his mouth. And with that, they scuttled away, leaving Flashwing and Whirlwind in the dust. Pyralis only glared at them. The dragon raised onto his haunches with a menacing growl, whipping his tail, and unfurling his wings. ''**Go.**''

Two more golden-armored dragons arrived, charging towards the Skylanders. The dragonesses wanted to turn around and fight, but they were already pushed out, aggressively.

''Hey!'' Whirlwind tried to dash back, but the gates had slammed back down, making her jump back.

''Flashwing!''

''Whirlwind!''

The crowds started to chant their names. Now that they were in, their clamors were almost deafening. This was a coliseum. It had been underground; the atmosphere was humid, but perfect for a coldblooded dragon. Dragons were sitting around Flashwing faintly smiled, basking in the attention. Whirlwind, on the other hand, was focused onto the other gate that was from a far. Soon enough, the gate creaked as if it were in pain. Gradually, it started to lift up, still squeaking. Whirlwind and Flashwing crouched low in their battle stances. The other dragons, intrigued, followed her lead. With a jittery squeal, the gate was finally up. Blackened smog drifted out from the opening, billowing into a smokescreen. Heavy, low panting noises emitted from the shadowed aperture. They reverberated off the walls, even louder than before. Malicious, crimson eyes were amid the darkness, narrowed in anger. With haste, their opponent lunged out, snarling.

Much to the Skylanders' surprise, their foe wasn't a dragon. The beast had a flowing, dirty mane. Giant, yellow sabers resided at the sides of his mouth. His veins pulsed, visibly. The beast's forelegs were bigger than his hindlegs, muscly and burly. He had a face of something in between a primate and a lion. Poisonous spikes rested on the animal's back, accompanied by spears that had been stuck into his skin. Finally, for his tail, a deadly stinger whipped the air, looking a bit like Scorp. He unraveled his tattered, dragon-like wings, flapping them.

Immediately, all of the other gladiators charged towards the monster. Their enemy opened his jaws, showing at least three rows of pointed teeth. With one simple swipe of his tail, at least three of the dragons fell out unconscious...Or slain. A few of the dragons staggered back. The beast started thwacking dragons aside with his huge claws. A group of dragons decided to bite at the monster, and surprisingly, it was harming their opponent. He shrieked, trying to shake and kick the dragons off of his legs. Suddenly, Flashwing jumped into the fray, Whirlwind following her. Together, they screamed their battle cries:

''Twists of Fury!''

''Blinded by the Light!''

If they were able to maim Pyralis, surely a weird, human cat thing couldn't be much of a problem. Immediately, the beast took notice of them, shaking the petty dragons off. With a roar, spikes fired off the monster's back, homing into dragons. The unlucky targets instantly froze, soon tobbling over at the venom, their eyes rolling to the back of their heads.

_Dangerous spikes, _Flashwing noted mentally, quickly dodging out of the way of a stray quill. The creature was bolting towards Whirlwind now, who was attempting Rainbow Singularity, charging up. Fortunately, the animal was stopped in his tracks by the dragons. They were relentless. And stupid. Enraged, the enemy struck one of the _courageous_ dragons in front of him. His prey screamed, being repeatedly stung in only seconds. The warriors, shocked, sprinted out of the monster's range. The collapsed dragon's scales sizzled. His punctures bubbled, vilely. The warrior's skin had turned a sickly, green shade. He murmured something, but it was cut off short, for the foe had lifted him into his jaws. Whirlwind and Flashwing both tried to stop the creature, shooting once more. Their enemy winced, hissing at the pain. It had already been too late, though. Their foe whipped his tail around, sending them reeling. Quickly, the attacker wolfed the dragon down.

Whole.

Whirlwind groaned and shook off, dazed. Luckily, they hadn't been stung. Flashwing checked herself for any injuries, worriedly. She heaved a sigh, ''Thank the Portals...''

''But we didn't save him...'' Whirlwind frowned. She glared at the odd brute, baring her flat teeth. ''That thing's gonna pay.'' Whirlwind started to run into battle again, but thankfully, Flashwing bit the hybrid's tail and dragged her back.

''We can't just run out there!'' The gem dragoness protested. She narrowed her eyes. ''We need a plan...''

* * *

Magna Charge watched his friends, intently. It had appeared as if Freeze Blade wasn't the only one going crazy. To put it simply, they were a little...drunk. Jabb was just as convincing as he was clever. Luckily, Magna Charge was the only one who wasn't affected, for he was a robot. And he was glad to be one at a time like that. The drunkards had passed out, along with a few other pirates that had joined the party.

''Heh, see your pals liked the drinks.'' Scarsnout grinned at the Ultron.

''Correct, but that's quite an understatement.''

Scarsnout laughed heartily. '' 'Pose so. Hey...Wasn't there another one of you?''

Magna Charge blinked, ''What?''

''Another one of you.''

''L-like a clone. I assure you, sir, I don't have any clones.''

Scarsnout shook his head. ''You had another friend here, and now he's not.''

''Oh, right. He went off with his friend. A _special _friend.'' Magna Charge responded with a laugh.

''The Seapoodle?'' Scarsnout narrowed his eyes. ''Hm?'' He leaned in, placing his claws down onto the counter. ''Poochie, perhaps?''

''Is that a bad thing?''

''It's worse than a bad thing, Ultron. It's a terrible, horrible thing. Those Seapoodles are gruesome, they don't call 'em the Treacherous Trio for nothin'. They may seem cute and innocent, but that's just what they want you to think. Poochie, she's the leader, one behind all of it. Cookie, she _really _is a smart cookie. She knows lots about compact and just about anything. Some say she can know what attack you're gonna use before you even do it. She's the inventor, does machines and makes mechanical weapons. Candy, the youngest, is totally obsessed with fashion. She wears jewelry everywhere she goes, but don't let that fool you. With all of the sweets she eats, she practically never gets tired, and always pops right back up on her feet when you think you've finished her. Not to mention, they're all magic! They get it from their mother; that witch is just like them. Those girls aren't rainbows, cupcakes, and kittens. They. Are. Fiends.''

''Fiends? Those fluffy-''

''Fiends, I tell you!'' Scarsnout snarled, spooking Magna Charge a little. Seapoodles? Seapoodles were monsters?

''Well, Poochie didn't seem evil.'' Magna Charge commented.

''Seem is the key word.'' Scarsnout then flicked his ears. He focused onto the stairs, grimacing. ''You should go check on your friend. Before it's too late...''

Magna Charge directed his head towards the stairs, warily. For all he knew, Scarsnout could've been lying. But still, Stink Bomb had been gone for a while now, and the other Swappers probably didn't even want to go looking for him. So, he eventually hopped off his seat, going towards the stairs.

''Heeey...Magsss. Where you goin', Mags?'' Doom Stone slurred, abruptly awakening at the Ultron's absense, pointing his sword. ''You're gonna miss out on all the..f-fun, Mags. Maggyyy...''

''Wild skunk chase.'' Magna Charge replied.

''Wild skunk chase? I wanna go with-''

''No time to talk, Doom. But stay alert while I'm gone.'' Magna Charge was hopping up the stairs, since he couldn't exactly dash over them. He heard Doom Stone murmur, but it was indistinct, and the Ultron didn't pay much attention to it.

Although, it didn't take long until he heard wails. ''Stop! Staph!''

Magna Charge could easily recognize Stink Bomb's whimpers, but the giggles that were after it weren't familar. But they belonged to girls, that's all he knew. Magna Charge, now in midst of the hallway, was instantly frightened. Before he could react, he heard Stink Bomb's laughter. What was going on? There was really only one way to find out. He promptly bolted, skidding to a hasty halt. Magna Charge raised his Magnet Cannon. Then, he thought for a moment.

Blasting down the door wasn't the best idea possible. What would happen if he accidently hit Stink Bomb, or just another innocent in the room? Besides, it would be kind of to annihilate a perfect door. Still prepared to fire, he grabbed its knob, hurriedly opening it. Stink Bomb wasn't being tortured; he was being tickled! Poochie and her sisters immediately took notice of Magna Charge, while Stink Bomb was still on the verge of dying from laughter. Poochie playfully punched Stink Bomb in the arm, much to Magna Charge's alarm. It had looked a bit like hostility to the robot. Stink Bomb, rubbing the spot where he had been struck, finally took notice of Magna Charge. He yelped in surprise.

''Stink Bomb?'' Magna Charge asked.

Stink Bomb's face was practically painted in makeup and his nails were a vibrant pink. ''Uhhh..Hi, Magna.'' he waved. ''...You like?'' he questioned, showing the Ultron his shiny, pink nails with a bashful grin. He was sharing the chair in the middle with Poochie, who had an unbelievable smile on her face.

''Woah, an Ultron!'' Cookie jolted up from her chair, mesmerized. She started to pace around Magna Charge, studying him. ''I've got to say, you've got some amazing technology.''

Magna Charge couldn't ignore that. ''Why, thank you.''

''No. Thank you for being so awesome. Cooool, you've got a blaster! You've got to try it out, you've just go to.'' Cookie then backed up, ''Fire at will. Oooh, I've always wanted to try this!''

''I don't think that's safe.''

''It's not supposed to. It's for science. I'll survive...Probably.''

Magna Charge lowered his weapon, shaking his head at the Seapoodle.

''Aww, fine. I shall keep studying you, though, and not from a distance.''

Poochie was already on to doodling a picture of Magna Charge in her diary, slipping her tongue out in determination. ''Stay still...Almost done...'' she said, clenching a red crayon in her hand. ''How do you spell...Ullltron?'' Poochie started to nip at the crayon, bewildered.

''Magna Charge, meet Candy, Cookie and Poochie.'' Stink Bomb introduced them all.

''Bonjour.'' Poochie smiled, still focusing on her drawing.

''Greetings...'' Cookie tapped on Magna Charge's head with a claw, testing.

''Hiya!'' Candy exclaimed.

''I've trained them a little of ninjustsu, so, they like to be called kunoichi now.'' Stink Bomb said.

''Hai, Sensei.'' Poochie scribbled some words with a black crayon, nodding. ''Did I do that right?'' she added.

''They even call me Sensei! Isn't that great?''

''Uh, yes, but aren't they pira-'' Magna Charge started.

''Correction, we're bandits.'' Cookie interupted.

''Adorable, little bandits! Speakin' of banditin'. How 'bout I trade you this crayon for one of your gears. It looks valuable.'' Candy yipped. She held up a pink crayon in one hand, while a fallen gear of Magna Charge's was in the other. How did she even get that? ''Pwetty please?" Candy whimpered.

''Give me that.'' Cookie snatched the gear from her. She started to inspect it, smirking. ''You don't mind if I borrow this, do you? It's for science.''

Poochie was promptly alarmed. ''Heheh, we're good bandits. Good bandits who definately don't steal anything.'' she sheepishly snickered.

''Poochie, good bandits aren't a thing. That doesn't even make sense. That would make us...Anti-Heroes, or something. You read comics, right? Then you should know more about this kind of stuff.'' Cookie shook her head. Poochie looked towards Magna Charge, giving him a wary smile for protection.

''Ah, don't worry, they're not on The Cardmaster's side.'' Stink Bomb reassured. ''Right?''

''Nope, we're just in it for the riches.'' Poochie responded.

''And fame!'' Candy replied.

''See?'' Stink Bomb turned back to Magna Charge. ''Well, it's not much, but at least they're not trying to kill us. And they have cupcakes! Who could turn down cupcakes?!''

Naivety proved to be just as strong as his stench. But, Magna Charge didn't want to interfere with the lovebirds. It was rude to just attack a girl out of no where...unless it was Kaos' Mother, of course.

''Uh, that's great, Stink Bomb.'' Magna Charge started to analyze the trio of Seapoodles, his pupil darting.

They didn't seem very menacing. What type of villain would have sparkles everywhere on the floor, nail polish, and perfume? Poochie even stamped a unicorn sticker onto Stink Bomb's forehead, one with rainbows flying out of it's backside! It hadn't made sense to Magna at all.

He stopped confusing his circuits, turning his attention back to Stink Bomb and Poochie. It wasn't that hard to see that Poochie had grown fond of him. She was actually stroking that smelly tail of his, it in her lap and everything. Like a dog, any one who petted his tail would be on Stink Bomb's automatic friends list.

The Swampskunk surely trusted her, and surely liked the tail rubs since he was actually purring in a strange skunk way. No one ever really stroked his tail, because you never knew when ever you could send off a trigger of scent glands. But it seemed to comfort him a lot. She was rather close to him, not even recoiling at the fumes that rolled off of his pelt. Frankly, Magna Charge never even heard Stink Bomb make those noises before. Looking even closer at the makeup, Magna Charge could see a smudged lipstick mark on Stink Bomb's cheek.

''So, do you want to join us for tea time?'' Stink Bomb questioned.

Magna Charge nodded, ''That's fine with me.'' He didn't have anything better to do and someone needed to protect Stink Bomb. The Treacherous Trio were indeed bandits; they probably had some tricks up their sleeves.

''But first...'' Poochie smirked, almost deviously. ''You've got to go through initiation.''

* * *

''Fools.'' Ail cackled. The old witch was staring down at her cauldron, enjoying the_ show_. Her victims had been totally unaware that she was actually stalking them, The Cardmaster, the Swappers, and her own children, all thanks to a little spell of hers.

Shadeskin stalked into the cottage, mewling. He shook his fur off, fluffing his wet, rained on feathers out. The sphinx leader then looked up at Master Ail, who had been totally intrigued at the images shown in the glowing, green liquid.

''Ah, perfect timing. I left a seat for you, Shady.'' Ail still hadn't looked up from the cauldron.

Shadeskin padded over to her, locating the stepstool beside the sorcerer. He clambered up onto it and started to peek into the cauldron as well. ''What's going on now?''

''He's sending that twerp called Chester back out again.''

''Didn't he learn from the first time?''

''He never learns, Shadeskin. None of them ever learn.''

''What about that spotty fellow? The assassin?''

''Drunk as a skunk. And speaking of which, I think it's about time to change the romance channel.'' Ail then closed her eyes. Soon enough, the old images in the cauldron had been replaced with new images.

Shadeskin was in awe, snickering a bit. ''Oh, Master, how do you do it?''

''I'm amazing, that's how. Now shush cat, I've got to see what Senpai Mouff-Mouff and my Poochie are up to.''

''What?'' Shadeskin asked.

Ail cast him a petrifying glare, instantly making the sphinx shut up. The raven turned back to her show, ''Oh, look, they're having a tea party! W-with another one of those Skylanders. Looks like they're having fun. I'll have to spare those two Skylanders, just for keeping my wittle pups company.'' Abruptly, her connection had cut off. The pictures had faded, bubbles taking their place. She screeched in rage.

''Where did it go, Master? Is it missing?''

''It only stays for a few minutes, Shadestep!''

''You are acting like it's never happened before.''

''I wanted to see them kiss! You don't understand!''

Shadestep blinked, cocking his head to a side. Ail stiffened up, veering her head away from the sphinx. ''Ignore it.'' she hissed at Shadestep.

''Already forgotten.''

''Good. Or else I would have to kill you. Heheh! I'm kidding, of course...Or am I?'' Ail guffawed, producing her cleaver out of the magic in her blistered hand. ''You know, Shadeskin, I've got an itching for creating some madness. Skylands just isn't the same without it. We should do something about it.'' She was just pointing the thick knife at the sphinx, making his wings tremble. Ail simpered, ''Are you thinking about what I'm thinking, Shady?''

''Destruction, devastation, and deception?''

''Precisely.'' Ail nodded. Shadeskin meowed in relief. Ail started to run her talons through his fur, making him purr. Shadeskin smirked, ''Who are we attacking?''

''What kind of question is that? It's not who are we attacking; it's what are we attacking? And the answer to that question is all of Skylands, of course. Alas, evil plans come to great masterminds who rest. We'll discuss this later, darling.'' Ail soothed. She clacked her beak in distaste, threatening Shadestep with her cleaver. ''Now shoo, you fleabitten rat! I need my sleep.''

* * *

Crook swiveled his head, left to right. Finding that the coast was clear, he tiptoed across the room, 'sneaking' past the several pirates at the bar._ I am stealthy_, he thought. _I am stealth, absolutely no one sees me__._

Although, he was telling himself lies, it made him feel better about himself. Right now, he was on a mission, one that could prove himself worthy to The Cardmaster. The sly fox had already located the Skylanders, but getting to them stealthily would be difficult. He crouched, getting low to the ground, before slowly scuttling over to them. He was searching for one particular Skylander at the moment. With the certain Mermasquid in sights, Crook got onto his feet and brushed himself off, leering. He scampered up onto the seat next to Wash Buckler, who was staring off into space. "Wash Buckler, right?" the fox asked.

''Whah?'' Wash Buckler looked around.

''Over here.''

''Oh, I knew that.'' Wash Buckler's eyes were lazily trying to close up. "Yep, best cap 'n the seas ever seen. But w-w-who...the heck are you?" Wash Buckler drawled, gesturing a bottle that still had some liquid in it at the fox.

"Name's Crook." the fox replied.

"Cook? W-why do they call ya that...? You look nothin' like Ghost Roaster. " Wash Buckler asked, before trying to guzzle his drink but instead poured his beverage onto himself.

"No, it's Crook." Crook answered, his ear flicking impatiently.

"What do you want...C-creek?" Wash Buckler blinked his eyes, wearily.

"A game of cards. You wouldn't mind playing a simple game, would you?" Crook smiled.

"I-I have no idea what your talkin' about, Mister Hook...B-but I don't say no to no challenge. You hear me, Rook? I'm da cap'n here!" Wash Buckler's had started tipping over onto his face, much to Crook's amusement.

''Excellent...'' Crook grinned. ''Oh, and you should probably bring your friends too.''

''Ookay...Wait..what friends?''


End file.
